tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-114628662011-04-21T14:57:53.145-04:00Jussy and Meesy say goodbye Melbourne, hello New York.BumperCropnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-91861871733920006182009-02-13T17:23:00.001-05:002009-02-13T17:23:16.896-05:00

IMG_0378Originally uploaded by bcalburyOur 2 year adventure in NY is up and we're packing up shop and heading to Flemo.Justin arrives Mar 1 and I get back April 15.Looking forward to a meat pie, walking barefoot in my backyard, my cat and catching up with you :)

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-56946576941225317502008-08-07T09:39:00.002-04:002008-08-07T09:47:11.907-04:00

My article on how video game design provides lessons for website designers just got published on Boxes and Arrows. Very excited!Boxes and Arrows is a peer-written industry journal for information architects, interaction designers, graphic designers and other user experience professionals. Readers vote on story ideas that you submit and then the editors greenlight your piece if you get enough

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-24233894976407391622008-08-06T15:30:00.001-04:002008-08-06T15:32:34.349-04:00

I beg to differ, Carme75Conne52. I think, somehow, physical pain is still out there, somewhere, on this planet.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-35072440858792412482008-08-06T10:19:00.003-04:002008-08-06T10:23:30.358-04:00

Had to share. Click on the image to read it. Imagine sitting around coming up with these subject lines for a spam factory.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-28271612021810074332008-08-05T09:38:00.002-04:002008-08-05T09:49:57.992-04:00

Thanks Colette for letting me know that Google street view has now expanded to Melbourne, which has allowed us to see our little house in Flemington in all its glory. It looks hot and dry in the photo. And clean. And empty. Fabulous that we can see it and kind of scary. I am so looking forward to moving in there and rattling around all those rooms. It's a frequent fantasy of mine when I scan the

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-15472253353687652902008-07-29T13:05:00.003-04:002008-07-29T14:21:30.201-04:00

Saw Julianne Moore in the West Village on Sunday afternoon with her two kids. Smaller IRL than I expected, but luminous.Jus and I were scooting through the Village on our way to the Hudson for a bit of picnicking and Scrabble on the grass but got caught in a thunderstorm. Ate our ham and American cheese (there is such a variety, apparently: its entirely non-descript) sandwiches watching fork and

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-2542591230495923182008-07-25T16:49:00.004-04:002008-07-25T17:08:54.935-04:00

An old fave (Japanese electro pop song called 'Paris Hilton' replete with chicken noises, how can it be bad?) that I dug up on Songza, a website that lets you search for songs and just play them, free, then and there. Don't ask, can't be legal. Lyrics, to wit:Shake your body body Move your body body Jump your body body Shake your body body Paris Hilton!Go ahead! Say What?I'm the richest party

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-27005892280403150562008-07-24T17:40:00.001-04:002008-07-24T17:40:09.117-04:00

Review date: Aug.242007Review by: Anonymous from Seattle, WAMontecarloThe Montecarlo features an oversized stainless steel case. Leather band. Stainless steel buckle. Date window. Solid curved mineral crystal. 3 Hand analog movement and digital time. 5 ATM. Thick wrist.Fantastic and unique - ...5out of 5Reviewer Comments: Fantastic and unique - Great watch, very stylish and unique. The face isn't

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-9319046729067846012008-07-19T23:26:00.000-04:002008-07-19T23:27:52.389-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-13971764445490900072008-07-18T23:30:00.000-04:002008-07-18T23:31:35.550-04:00

I have gone from hating manicures to loving them in the space of a couple of months. I thought they were painful, pointless and petty. But i'm wondering now if I just had a few unlucky experiences with shonky nail aestheticians (one of the names I've come across.) there's a joint next to the office where it's $10 and I've actually gone there with a colleague for a meeting. Hard to take notes

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-70726886509531173862008-07-16T18:24:00.004-04:002008-07-16T18:34:12.155-04:00

This is Mike, who I used to work with, live several blocks from, and enjoy teasing very much. He gave me 5 packets of wasabi peas for my birthday and has such a serious thing for Italian red wine that he has tastings chez lui every week. He's yet another Gen Y person making me feel old.Where did you grow up? Grew up in Ohio. Dayton, OH. Which is, as I’m sure everyone in the world knows, the

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-8843628038715225832008-07-14T20:37:00.003-04:002008-07-14T21:11:19.898-04:00

Am writing myself out of my bank-induced bad mood.Saturday Justin and I thought we would head to the public pool in Central Park for a swim. Like normal people we get there with our bags, replete with towel, SPF 15, book, hat, ipod, sunnies, newspaper, water, snack. The usual. We're settling in for the arvo.We rock up at about 1.20pm (no one knows the term 'rock up' BTW).As we enter we get asked

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-57406605435921664862008-07-14T20:20:00.003-04:002008-07-14T20:35:16.148-04:00

Banking and paying bills here is the pits. The absolute pits. There's no BPAY: there's a couple of different EFT systems that different companies and financial institutions support. Our utilities companies charge extra fees if you pay online anyway. They prefer cheques! And they include an addressed envelope with their bill but you have to fork out for a stamp.The online payment screens for the

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-78018850574701954862008-07-12T23:07:00.001-04:002008-07-12T23:07:28.582-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-3572091459840836172008-07-12T21:02:00.001-04:002008-07-12T21:02:56.773-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-12352997418358474522008-07-08T17:24:00.003-04:002008-07-08T17:35:10.071-04:00

So we didn't go anywhere for the long weekend and I feel like I squandered it :( I could have been in Costa Rica or the Keys or New Orleans but I did not get my act together and the airfares all skyrocketed. So now I am in holiday planning mode for later in the year so we don't miss out on more travel opportunities. The clock is ticking loudly for me.There were two highlights: wandering around

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-5352479184680613222008-07-08T09:09:00.003-04:002008-07-08T09:17:12.062-04:00

I just bought the Village People's Milkshake song on iTunes (apparently Gen Y people around the office have never heard of it and I have to share its glorious educational fluffiness with them). I got my Itunes receipt and I had to laugh at the 'Those who bought your selections also bought' recommendations: Miss Bette Davis, Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive: The Anthology and The Best of Meco (best

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-55273419041174269452008-07-02T15:54:00.003-04:002008-07-02T15:58:01.848-04:00

So on Friday its Independence Day and I have Thursday off too. And because Jus and I haven't quite adjusted to the US holiday schedule we have not planned a getaway. Four days off and no plan! I'm beside myself. Tonight I'm going to be scouring the interweb for last minute flights to anywhere and cruises to the closer Caribbean islands. If it all goes to pot we'll end up on an Amtrak train to

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-11356810849372471982008-07-02T15:45:00.003-04:002008-07-02T15:53:48.988-04:00

This is Olivia who I used to work with but who has now spread her wings to the wonderful world of entertainment. And its appropriate because she is so entertaining. This gal has stories. About her Katrina-orphan pooch, her fave Italian joint in Miami and her feeling of obligation to take leaflets from desperate looking people on the street.Where did you grow up?I grew up all over the U.S. I was

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-73329135348658311732008-07-02T09:59:00.002-04:002008-07-02T10:17:31.582-04:00

No, not that kind of dream. The overbearing stage mother with hopes of stardom for her daughters, kind.Jus and I went to see Gypsy on Broadway last night, starring the indomitable Patti Lupone. Lupone won a Tony for her performance and even before the show opened in March the musical theatre lovers were thrilling about her performance.Jus and I have been yelling 'Patti Lupone' in our best Long

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-86689260796574007082008-06-26T11:26:00.003-04:002008-06-26T11:34:32.505-04:00

Central Park was a mecca for classical music and picnic lovers on Tuesday night. Being picnic maestros we jumped on the idea of seeing the New York Philharmonic Orchestra doing a free concert and headed off with Dave, Melissa and thousands of others to nosh on a rug on the Great Lawn. And fireworks spelled the grand finale after a rather lacklustre 1812 Overture (fake cannons just don't do the

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-59825998854379908912008-06-26T11:14:00.003-04:002008-06-26T11:23:37.745-04:00

I'm kinda cheating here because Jus knew James from college days but what the hell he's still a New Yorker, right? And he's a New Yorker who blogs about basketball and works in web design. So you gotta love it.Where did you grow up?I was born in London, raised in Washington DC, went to University in Melbourne, Australia.What brought you to New York?Every young person who grows up in DC eventually

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-19397957612256556952008-06-26T10:25:00.005-04:002008-06-26T15:50:39.849-04:00

A little plug for an email newsletter I've subscribed to called Shop It To Me. It's a free service where you:sign upselect your clothes sizesselect the brands (200+) and online retailers you likechoose the types of clothing and accessories you are interested in (dresses, shoes, pants)specify the level of discount you want (20-70% off) and they email you when clothing that matches your preferences

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-53080143243981072322008-06-23T11:02:00.004-04:002008-06-23T11:15:00.427-04:00

Played Scrabs and drank wine and spotted chipmunks and squirrels and then fireflies came out. Enchanting. Lots of US flags at the campsites, lots of hotdog condiments, lots of tin foil bainmaries with pre-prepared food in them and little tealight candles warming them up, bamboo tiki torches, lots of BIG tents. Massive thunderstorm the next morning and saw a tree get hit by lightning and a branch

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-82268582862429998362008-06-23T10:46:00.003-04:002008-06-23T11:15:34.128-04:00

Jus and I are camping in Pennsylvania, where they sell fireworks and have drive thru discount cigarette stores for out of state visitors.Caught the train up here and got picked up by the camp site from the station.Warm and gentle and green and lovely. Some Scrabble and red wine from the nalgene this arvo, canoeing in the morning.Many tadpoles but will try not to think of what that implies.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-50668728760957328282008-06-23T10:43:00.003-04:002008-06-23T10:44:56.168-04:00

Click on the image to see it bigger. This is how it all began...

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-31185902532029658702008-06-19T18:08:00.002-04:002008-06-19T18:18:27.289-04:00

This is Meredith, who sits in the next set of cubicles over from me at work, and is a baking fiend and obssessed with a particular dwarf minitiature horse.Where did you grow up?I spent my first 6 years in Cleveland followed by a 5 year stint in Chicago and I’ve been in New York since (although not the city – my family lives in northern Westchester (the county just north of the city).What brought

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-24857258097524218352008-06-19T17:48:00.002-04:002008-06-19T18:00:58.346-04:00

David Sedaris, memoirist, funny funny man, was doing a reading at our local Barnes & Noble and we thought we'd go along with Katie, who was in town. Seems like about four thousand other locals had the same idea.This is a 4 storey bookstore and the reading was up the top. Each storey had TV monitors set up because the top storey, where we crammed ourselves, was overflowing and standing room only

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-45499088092994189652008-06-19T17:12:00.003-04:002008-06-19T17:46:57.079-04:00

On the hot hot weekend the other week, Jus and I dragged our drippingly sweaty selves to Madison Square Park where the Big Apple BBQ Block Party was in full swing. Jus and I thought we'd make the quick walk from our place and check it out briefly and then head to Governors Island, thinking it might be some sleepy affair with a few stands of ribs. How is it that we've lived here all this time and

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-25325748763020575372008-06-19T14:45:00.003-04:002008-06-19T15:37:57.121-04:00

I'm covered in bruises at the moment. The calves have green patches and the hips have brown smudges and the sides of my kness have little purple dots. Why? I hear you ask as you roll your ergonomic desk chair closer to get better a look. Because I have been doing lots of this: That's me hula hooping on our bed. Earphones in, iPod on, going for it. Has she regressed to childhood? I hear you

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-77551037780518113482008-06-13T22:47:00.000-04:002008-06-13T23:49:38.294-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-18893971002356056442008-06-13T19:09:00.000-04:002008-06-13T19:10:48.163-04:00

Sunset beers on the Met rooftop overlooking Central Park. Happy Friday.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-55997378447064816502008-06-13T12:01:00.008-04:002008-06-13T14:49:21.110-04:00

Bob started the same day I did and was my pod buddy for a bit. Say hello to Bob. He's one of those people who knows every band, book and movie you've never heard of but should. Were people born in the 80s equipped with bigger memories?Where did you grow up?Southern Italy. And Northeast Florida. And the Aleutian Islands.What brought you to New York?My job at Razorfish. I’m a Content

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-2297613655184536732008-06-12T17:45:00.004-04:002008-06-13T12:01:06.038-04:00

In case you've been going to the loo when the international weather forecast comes on SBS World News, let me tell you there has been a heat wave in NY. We've had five days of 30c+ weather in a row although summer has not officially started yet.Totally melting. sweaty messes. rivulets of sweat running where they shouldn't be. icecream runs at 11pm. waking at 5am. wearing dresses and open toed

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-71411083209544189852008-06-04T16:52:00.005-04:002008-06-04T17:21:07.376-04:00

Welcome to the first of many interviews with some pals and colleagues of mine. Hopefully their uncensored responses to my 10 questions will shed some insight into who I'm meeting and working with and what real life New Yorkers actually think about NY, America and Australia. Feel free to ask questions and comment on your impressions and reactions.To kick it all off, meet Deneva. Enjoy!Where did

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-932829889728196612008-06-04T15:00:00.002-04:002008-06-04T15:18:27.297-04:00

I finally put some site measurement code on the blog so I can see how many people are visiting and where they're visiting from. I can't see individuals, it's all aggregated, so your preference to lurk out there in the mists of cyberspace is respected.Funnily enough I've had a few visits from people who typed the word 'botty' into Yahoo or Google and ended up on my post about the Village Voice

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-43255499078428454402008-06-04T10:36:00.004-04:002008-06-04T11:03:01.725-04:00

9pm. Hot. Humid. Sitting in the dark watching season one of 30 Rock. Restless. We decide to go for a run. This is our new resolution, the beginning of another get fit campaign. We dust off shorts, lace up creaky sneaks and take the stairs to the ground floor. We strike out along West 15th towards the Hudson.The street is busy. Countless men in khaki shorts, pastel tank tops and leather sandals

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-83152854016911098632008-05-30T14:11:00.003-04:002008-05-30T14:47:41.301-04:00

So I arrived in NY roughly this time last year. Since then I have:posted 269 blog entries. That's a 73.6% daily blogging rate, which I'm pretty happy with. Perhaps in the name of personal development I should increase my KPI to 80% for next year. Or perhaps for personal development I should blog less and live more. It's contentious as a recent NY Times article demonstrated.put on 6 kgs. I don't

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-82436412811725388782008-05-30T13:57:00.003-04:002008-05-30T14:07:43.943-04:00

Today is a special day on this little island.A few times a year the sun sets and rises in perfect alignment with the Manhattan street grid system. This means that the sun sets at the vanishing point of the streets. If you go to the end of one of the long cross-island (east-west) streets (14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, 57th) you can watch the sun slip between the buildings to the horizon. The sun

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-10151811050368835662008-05-27T12:27:00.004-04:002008-05-27T12:30:58.264-04:00

jus and the statue of libertyOriginally uploaded by MeesyThe first long weekend of the summer ,perfect weather and lots to do. Friday night we caught up with Mike & Annie and realized we were the last people on the internet to see the 'Charlie bit my finger' Youtube clip. We promptly watched it the next day and it is surprisingly funny for some innocent 'let's get the kids on tape'

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-61544632836691889832008-05-24T02:10:00.005-04:002008-05-24T02:19:13.615-04:00

Sing along:The tax mans taken all my dough,And left me in my stately home,Lazing on a sunny afternoon.And I cant sail my yacht,Hes taken everything Ive got,All Ive gots this sunny afternoon.Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze.I got a big fat mama trying to break me.And I love to live so pleasantly,Live this life of luxury,Lazing on a sunny afternoon.In the summertimeIn the summertimeIn

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-31686417602640300092008-05-23T09:50:00.004-04:002008-05-23T09:57:25.003-04:00

This is like I Can Haz Cheeseburger for charts. You can see more and make your own here.No excuses now for boring PowerPoint presentations.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-1743732588904279192008-05-22T13:13:00.004-04:002008-05-22T13:28:56.349-04:00

Well Justin listened to quite the eye (ear?) opening radio show yesterday on good old WNYC about the differences between British English and American English. Listen to the show here. It's about 30 minutes.Fascinatingly, the -ize ending used to be British English until they got all Frenchified and moved to -ise, same with the move from -er to -re. The Americans hung on to the original spelling.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-24950473564236766382008-05-22T12:31:00.004-04:002008-05-22T12:42:44.773-04:00

I have to say that New York loves a free outdoor event and there are so many of them I'm truly excited about the cultural excess of the next few months.Yesterday I grabbed some lunch with pals and we walked to Bryant Park and listened to author, Augusten Burroughs, speak about his childhood and his new memoir about his father. An area of Bryant Park is the Reading Room, an outdoor newsagent &

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-15959908705606630552008-05-22T10:44:00.004-04:002008-05-22T10:59:14.144-04:00

I got home from work the other night to find two of the building superintendents hovering at our neighbours door. I could hear a bit of commotion inside and I said kinda flippantly 'Hi guys what's happening?' and one of them took a few steps towards me and whispered, 'She died. In the tub. And has flooded her apartment and the one below'. It was all very Law & Order. The supers had to force their

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-85614806129903454432008-05-21T20:49:00.001-04:002008-05-22T12:53:21.924-04:00

Went to see the baseball during the last season at the original Yankeestadium with colleagues from work. Out to the Bronx, which means Ifinally made it to all 5 boroughs. Bud Light, dogs, crackerjack,peanuts and pretzels.bases loaded a few times: did not know where to look and felt like I was constantly missing the action. where is a slow mo replay when you need it?Started with the anthem, also

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-25352302177019715222008-05-20T14:26:00.003-04:002008-05-20T14:27:41.656-04:00

'Suck it up' seems to be the new saying on the street: I hear it atleast once a day either at work, walking around or on TV. This video is related in the slimmest of ways but is too funny not to share.Parents: you might want to watch with no sound.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-37086014290423319382008-05-19T20:06:00.002-04:002008-05-19T20:14:33.746-04:00

This time last year was my going away party, a bittersweet affair. Now that a year is ticking over I've gone into overdrive planning all the holidays that Jus and I want to squeeze in before two years arrives and we turn into pumpkins.New Orleans. DC. Maine. Newfoundland. Utah. Jamaica. Central America. Florida Keys. Wyoming. Vegas. Jade. Ced. Lyons family. Between Amtrak and AA and Starwood

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-86628611413967472412008-05-15T14:01:00.003-04:002008-05-15T14:05:49.087-04:00

There are many online confession websites where people post anonymous thoughts and feelings. I stumbled upon Group Hug today. There's something as fascinating here as some of the questions I see on Yahoo Answers. Strange glimpses into people's fears and hopes and worries and confusion.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-47323446448595623372008-05-15T10:56:00.002-04:002008-05-15T10:59:26.329-04:00

Can you believe how high the jackpots get here? Imagine winning US $196 million. I shall be entering. Let the fantasy of what you'd do when you found out you won and what you'd do with all the money begin...

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-44510937829398392192008-05-14T12:48:00.002-04:002008-05-14T12:53:03.136-04:00

Ever wondered what the job ad for a spy might look like? Wonder no more. The CIA was advertising on nytimes.com today and I took a look.My favourite parts:"An OO’s career can include assignments in the NCS’s three key areas of activity—human intelligence collection, counterintelligence, and covert action—on issues of highest interest to US national security, such as international terrorism,

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-3404689062398857202008-05-14T11:35:00.002-04:002008-05-14T11:40:49.228-04:00

Unscrewamerica.org is not a Get Up for the US. It's about changing to more energy efficient lightbulbs. And Australia gets a shout out via a kangaroo playing the national anthem.I think it's safe to say that this site is targetting the youth.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-32958315327631315162008-05-14T10:50:00.002-04:002008-05-14T10:52:35.493-04:00

Sometimes the subject lines on spam emails are just too funny not to share.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-53825386249532948332008-05-14T10:01:00.002-04:002008-05-14T10:09:23.990-04:00

AK, Ross and Anita have hit town. We're on a roll with our Aussie visitors and I have to say its lovely. Yes the credit card is melting but there's nothing I like more than swapping stories and hearing news over a dining table. AK is here for a spell then off to Alaska to visit her sister. Ross is exhibiting his furniture at a trade show and here for a week or so and Anita is

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-17317928897337365962008-05-14T09:56:00.002-04:002008-05-14T10:01:45.073-04:00

Ben and Lisa interviewed all over town and Ben was offered his dream job designing skyscrapers. So they're moving to New York for good! Lisa can relax and now take her time to find a role she can get truly excited about (she realised that there's a heap of cycling and outdoor publication websites based in NY) and not have to jump at the first thing that comes up. They are now on the next leg of

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-70966814406613985832008-05-14T09:47:00.004-04:002008-05-14T09:55:37.889-04:00

I haven't been keeping up with my spotting.In the LES wandering down the street I saw Kathryn Erbe, who you may know better as Detective Goran's partner on Law & Order Criminal Intent.In the East Village I was buying underwear and so was Patricia Clarkson, who is just as striking in real life as on screen. She was in the recent release Married Life with Pierce Brosnan, and used to be in Six Feet

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-3410976486607482322008-05-13T16:01:00.002-04:002008-05-13T16:13:35.881-04:00

Well torrents of time are being spent at Yahoo Answers, a site where people pose questions and all and sundry can respond. It is impossible to read a question like 'Are there any job opportunities for Irish electricians in Perth?', for example, and not respond and tell them to get their A to WA.The sheer range of questions fascinates me.Just now I saw:How do you know if a girl wants to hold hands

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-58717321329269489582008-05-09T10:19:00.004-04:002008-05-09T10:48:19.720-04:00

I'll try and make this sound less nerdy than it was but it might be hard. Actually this event felt to me like most web-related events: grass rootsy, full of fervour and passion and self-importance, and lots of beseeching and not a lot of practical advice, but Jennifer and Mark got over it pretty quickly and we went for a drink. Anyway...300 bloggers and blogger wannabes flocked to the Brooklyn

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-82415178173611569042008-05-09T10:04:00.002-04:002008-05-09T10:19:10.019-04:00

Given the small Australian contingent at work, and seeing as we're two weeks shy of our 1 year anniversary in NY, a few colleagues decided to get together for dinner in Nolita at an Australian restaurant called Eight Mile Creek.I was braced and ready for akubras, footy on TVs and homesick 22 year olds holding up the bar with oi oi ois, but it was actually a sedate, tableclothed restaurant with

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-81764923941146902782008-05-05T10:05:00.001-04:002008-05-05T10:06:24.293-04:00

My cousin, Chelsea, has been running these retreats in Bali for years. This short clip sums up the experience. Looks like so much fun.I love this song. Man, can't wait for summer.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-29314382342566534032008-05-04T12:46:00.000-04:002008-05-04T13:37:18.603-04:00

So last week I was asked to do the kind of project pitch I dream about: redesign the Xbox website. I spent the weekend getting up to speed with xbox live, the wii and playststion 3. On Monday I walked the rest of the team through our ideas, Tuesday we flew to Seattle to Microsoft HQ to pitch our concepts, Wednesday we flew back damn excited about the opportunity. Hopefully we'll hear back

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-78628853713746394192008-04-22T22:12:00.001-04:002008-04-22T22:22:58.722-04:00

Putting in the toe separators after a long winter, when the toes were wedged into boots and closed toe shoes and didn't see the light of day for months on end, hurts.But it must be done for the sun shineth and the al fresco dining has commenceth, and the sandals, 'flipflops' and peep toe heels are everywhere.No Neo Yorquina worth her enchilada would be seen dead in the street with naked toes.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-70194119372458276042008-04-21T14:39:00.002-04:002008-04-21T14:42:47.234-04:00

Similar not because of how you play the game but because this seems to be the main game played at universities all over the US. It's quite gross, but then most drinking games are. This video below kinda sums it up. Picture yourself in a frat house...or at a work function that's taken a drunken turn.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-51056916054967786372008-04-19T23:34:00.001-04:002008-04-19T23:34:54.237-04:00

Caro and I indulged in some broadway flight of fantasy. Xanadu was excellent: camp, silly and funny. We left on a total high and sang our way to Hell's Kitchen for a drink after.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-9049283936462318522008-04-19T23:28:00.000-04:002008-04-19T23:29:25.395-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-16312606307227981452008-04-19T16:31:00.000-04:002008-04-19T16:32:09.930-04:00

For my birthday I went out for dinner to wd-50, a molecular gastronomy resto in the LES. We tried the tasting menu and had 12 courses (3 desserts!), with juxtaposed flavours, colours and textures that had us oohing and aahing and occasionally wincing. Wylie Dufrsesne himself was in the kitchen, which seems unusual in celebrity chef circles. Was delicious and a great end to a gentle day.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-52099931893586741762008-04-19T16:18:00.000-04:002008-04-19T16:19:42.031-04:00

Not a casual burger & fries for this visitor. No, for this young lady the consul-general of NY throws a dinner to welcome her to the city and meet a few local Australian film folks. And Jus and I got to go too!It was just 10 of us at John Olsen's (former SA premier) residence near the UN and it was surprisingly relaxed. We met emma-kate croghan, some ABC and Miramax folks and a locations

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-56151063915822910382008-04-19T15:57:00.000-04:002008-04-19T16:00:26.521-04:00

Justin returned from his 3 weeks in Oz to a New York in the grip of spring. Yesterday it was 26c and today is another delicious one in the 20s. We went to the Murakami exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum (excellent!) and followed it up with a visit to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden next door, where the cherry blossoms have begun to bloom (beautiful!).

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-48007043804592827332008-04-19T01:03:00.000-04:002008-04-19T01:05:11.508-04:00

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-87491899829590156342008-04-18T00:23:00.000-04:002008-04-18T00:24:45.988-04:00

Listening to Massive Attack in the underground bar of a restaurant called Peasant. Too much red wine . Just had dinner at the consul- general's home. More on that later!

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-56060470635977534172008-04-17T08:21:00.001-04:002008-04-17T11:02:00.525-04:00

Imagine going to work next to the WTC site every day. I guess you getused to it, but it does feel like a gaping wound in the city. Was walking past it on the way to a client meeting at the World Financial Center.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-66277443917457321742008-04-15T19:11:00.000-04:002008-04-15T19:12:32.796-04:00

This Sunglass Hut campaign running in Oz too?

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-40435357963345334712008-04-14T11:23:00.004-04:002008-04-14T14:54:23.549-04:00

Well, who knew that I would love Miami?It's been four days of conference by day and tropical living at night, minus a quick sneak to the beach for some desperately needed swimming & soaking up the sun. Staying with Olivia, Fran and her son Elijah was great: no sirens, no shouting on the street, no beeping from kneeling buses, just birds, water over rocks and rustling palm fronds. I was born in

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-32427896789551503782008-04-11T10:51:00.000-04:002008-04-11T10:52:13.965-04:00

Am in Miami at an 'information architecture' conference. Flew in last night on a hellish Delta flight -air travel really is the pits here: 1 hour delay ok the tarmac, no food, no entertainment, surly staff- and now in delicious 28c, soft humid weather. The warm sun on my face is almost a religious experience after this long NY winter.I'm staying with an old work colleague who I've become

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-56176184997556618192008-04-09T19:42:00.000-04:002008-04-09T19:43:51.348-04:00

Main surprise of NYC. There you go.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-35456510262364604092008-04-09T19:37:00.000-04:002008-04-09T19:38:09.675-04:00

Ben worked his way through:The observerThe wall st journalVillage voiceThe Ny timesNy daily newsNy postNew yorkerTime outNy press...and barely managed to squeeze in the Met, Williamsburg, a trek over the Brooklyn bridge, 'dumb'-o, soho, Harlem and the les.Fave publication was the WSJ, but he didn't rate the NY Times and felt there were not enough escort ads in the Voice. Those Hun journos have

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-77880533142582018332008-04-09T19:16:00.001-04:002008-04-09T19:16:54.064-04:00

After a flustered moment in Wholefoods, Colster cooked an amazing risotto. In fact since ben & colette arrived I've eaten like a queen. I realised that I had basically been snacking on whatever since jus left, which contributed to me getting the worst cold ever (coughing so much I put my back out.)NYC didn't really get to Colette: but she did admit that coming to a large city is not the

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-68688159469702153212008-04-09T10:53:00.001-04:002008-04-09T10:53:42.423-04:00

I love that cough drops, cold medicine and every OTC pain killer known to man is freely available at work. They've also got allergies and diahrrea covered, just in case your Thai takeout goes bad.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-76640463585364412232008-04-04T15:55:00.002-04:002008-04-04T16:00:32.751-04:00

...about this ad that is running in Mexico. The map shows the US/Mexico border before the 1848 war, when Mexico gave up Cali, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. People are screaming 'boycott' left right and centre, citing Germany Anschluss references and insensitivity to the small but very real Mexican 'reconquista' movement that wants to get this land back. What do you think? Over-reaction or bad

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-29431476800607039082008-04-03T13:44:00.002-04:002008-04-03T13:45:07.614-04:00

How Sex and the City is this?

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-50719342711678712802008-03-31T11:38:00.003-04:002008-03-31T11:45:03.166-04:00

This TV ad made me laugh:-triple thick applewood smoked bacon-smoked cheddar cheese-jalapenos-crunchy tortilla strips inside the burgerIs it just me or do these burgers look gross?

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-79180456027495059022008-03-28T13:31:00.001-04:002008-03-28T13:34:39.226-04:00

I guess this is how you fund a space program.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-45397930627689562192008-03-28T13:12:00.003-04:002008-03-28T13:20:16.410-04:00

Chris Cooper, a chameleon of a character actor, was shooting a scene on 6th Ave a few blocks down from our place in Greenwich Village. The set was all lit up on a dreary, rainy mid-week evening and he was waiting outside a store. I just saw him in the film "Married Life" last night, which was a kind of boring film but he, as per usual, was excellent.The next day, ostensibly for the same movie

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-25966316406577067002008-03-28T11:10:00.006-04:002008-03-28T13:21:40.413-04:00

Since the weather is so much warmer I have been walking to and from work pretty much every day. It's about 30 minutes, 25 blocks, and a nice way to wake up/wind down and squeeze in incidental exercise.This morning I noticed daffodil and tulip flowers bursting from their buds, which made me happy. The planters around the city are going to be yellow, purple and red beacons of colour in a matter of

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-20461916852449699392008-03-25T16:49:00.003-04:002008-03-25T17:12:37.432-04:00

I have discovered 'machinima' and I think I could become obsessed with it.Machinima (as in 'machine -ama' to rhyme with cinema) is when people make movies and music video clips using video games. They create characters and sets within the game, write scripts, create soundtracks and do voiceovers and make their own movie. There are millions of these movies online and some of them are fascinating,

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-44197915964506352622008-03-24T16:44:00.006-04:002008-03-24T17:23:16.936-04:00

Jus and I hit a burlesque show on Friday night. It was date night so it was time to do something saucy. Got all the pasties we could handle at a dinner & show in SoHo. It was actually quite tame, which was a good thing as we were about a foot from the stage and I might have gagged on my pork roulade if I had have looked up at the wrong moment and caught sight of something over the top. They were

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-52013817013532625142008-03-24T16:29:00.003-04:002008-03-24T16:44:04.662-04:00

Ok, so I have not been a very diligent poster lately but you'll see it has been worth the wait with the veritable activity-fest I'm about to update you with.The pics above are from an art gallery opening I went to for an exhibition called RMB City by a Chinese artist whose subject matter is Second Life. (Yeah just let me nerd out for a moment here.) The exhibition included visual art, models,

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-63460657509918633182008-03-11T17:20:00.006-04:002008-03-11T17:57:31.174-04:00

My fruit guy's stand is back outside my subway stop, Bryant Park is back being a lawn at lunchtime, it rarely dips below zero during the day and Mister Softee is doing the rounds once more. I do believe winter is over!And I didn't have to resort to visiting a solarium for a dose of heat and Vit D! I do believe I am officially the palest I have ever been. Sun spots have emerged that until now had

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-12847928579519728002008-03-07T09:31:00.002-05:002008-03-07T09:36:12.564-05:00

Mum and I have been playing a friendly international game of Scrabble on the internet, and low and behold, I thrashed her! This is unheard of in our family. To put this in context: Mum has pretty much memorised all the 2 letter wordsshe has been playing for decadesshe has been playing every week for years.I just couldn't miss this opportunity to gloat for a bit. Next game will be an entirely

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-28805270391840148002008-03-04T17:23:00.006-05:002008-03-04T17:53:50.661-05:00

In a meeting the other day I was drawing web page concepts on a whiteboard and drew a world map to show how a user could select the region they were in. My colleagues chortled , "What kind of world map is that? Why is Australia in the middle?" and I said "This is how I always draw world maps: Australia and Asia in the middle, then Europe and Africa to the left and the US to the right." They were

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-16815607927675796022008-02-28T14:09:00.003-05:002008-02-28T15:22:11.866-05:00

This is the floor plan of an apartment that was advertised in the weekend papers recently. Click on the image to see a big version. I so want to see inside this display home.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-45690927116464277782008-02-28T09:50:00.006-05:002008-02-28T13:57:27.086-05:00

Justin and I went and explored Tribeca the other weekend, a pocket we hadn't yet spent much time in and didn't quite 'get'. Where was it exactly and what was there? So we jumped on the train in frigid weather and wound up and down the streets: along Canal past the cinema where De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival is headquartered, down Varick, Hudson and past a clutch of the city's fanciest (Nobu) and

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-65513884009840791232008-02-22T20:37:00.003-05:002008-02-22T21:18:32.629-05:00

happy snowman in central parkOriginally uploaded by Meesy Yay, it snowed. The novelty has not worn off at all. At work when the flurries start I wonder over to the window and watch awhile. It's so relaxing. I watched snow collect on the tops of skyscrapers and water tanks. The city softens for a moment in a pristine blanket. The sounds are muffled.Jus went for a walk today in Central Park, where

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-89197874570353044672008-02-19T14:15:00.003-05:002008-02-19T14:19:16.964-05:00

Lou Reed, spotted at PS1, a contemporary art museum in Long Island City. He looked surprisingly healthy in a martial arts jacket from 1986, wandering around a feminist art exhibition.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-48270949329565868112008-02-15T12:07:00.002-05:002008-02-15T12:12:41.078-05:00

Trippy little website with trippy content, such as Tom talking about KSW. Does he think he's Jesus?

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-64075262057203176342008-02-14T17:02:00.004-05:002008-02-14T17:18:03.196-05:00

Everyone's talking about this clip, which Black Eyed Pea will.i.am put together over one of Obama's speeches. Lots of Obama posters on cubicles at work. He seems to have inspired a lot of iconical poster art. As the parties get close to selecting their preferred candidate there is constant talk at dinners, drinks and lunchrooms about who who who for the Democrats. I've heard countless people say

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-14496179151493408722008-02-14T15:10:00.002-05:002008-02-14T15:24:56.522-05:00

I used an office bathroom this morning where:the loo automatically flushed as I was risingthe soap was dispensed automatically as I put my palm under itthe tap turned on automatically when I put my hand under itthe paper towel dispenser spat out paper automatically when I waved my hand under itI didn't have to touch anything! I couldn't tell whether I was impressed or disappointed that someone

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-61426327400915395882008-02-13T15:04:00.002-05:002008-02-13T15:06:58.375-05:00

I thought this was a strictly 'no problem' land and that nobody would say 'no worries', but it is used all the time.

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-43450902855570017472008-02-13T10:24:00.004-05:002008-02-13T12:56:23.900-05:00

I've been reading The Age online this morning about Sorry Day and Rudd's historic speech (and Nelson's disappointing and misguided contribution. just don't get it, do they?). Goose bumps material. It was the lead story on the front page of the NY Times.I'm sad that I'm not at home to be part of this momentous occasion. The air of optimism, relief, hope and renewed excitement in Australia and what

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11462866.post-73176209103559323062008-02-13T10:03:00.002-05:002008-02-13T10:07:21.710-05:00

Helicopter Blows Deer SafeWhile most of the rest of the country is getting its fair share of snow, NYC has been eerily snow-free. Until yesterday! We finally had some 'accumulation' and had snow on the ground for several hours, before it turned to grey slush.So pretty when its all white and fresh, so gross once it is grey, stained with dog pee, and being sprayed as slush from passing vehicles. I

BumperCropnoreply@blogger.com0