Comments on: Lazy Sunday! (Searching for Paradise edition)

By: Bismarck

Bismarck — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:01:07 +0000

I spent last week in Byron Bay, enjoying the monsoonal conditions and the wonderful (but all too brief) feeling of freedom that comes from holidaying in the hiatus between jobs. That feeling was enhanced by the fact that I had completed my last time sheets for the foreseeable future, having made the transition from law to politics. I have now joined the advisory staff of a senior federal parliamentarian (no further disclosure at this stage), and am busy getting kitted out with APH access material, communications hardware, etc, ahead of a round of briefings for party meetings this week and the opening of Parliament next week. May make the occasional posts here with whatever gossipy morsels come my way over the next few weeks.

By: Paul Burns

Paul Burns — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 22:37:00 +0000

Saturday, had a friend visit from Goulbourn. She finds the working class there decidedly dumb, obsessed with sport, uninterested in literature, addicted to action movies, nicotins and marijuana – and she is working class. Reassured her we weren’t all like that, but she is finding it hard to believe.Spent afternoon reading ‘A Spirited Resisistance’ (cf. Saturday Salon.) Watched The Bill, went to bed early.
Sunday. Insiders back on again next week. Spent morning mostly reading. Afternoon watched DVD, Inside Man – heist movie. Evewning – decided to watch Robin Hood instead of Cathy Freeman. Watched Miss Marple – did or did not the plot creak like it was from one of Dickens’ less accomplished works? Read a bit, went to bed early.

By: Nabakov

Nabakov — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:10:48 +0000

Well I spent today rising late, having a leisurely levee and then attending the memorial service for one Ray Stanley. Lotsa Noel Coward songs, chicken and champers and some classic old Australian stage veterans like Patricia Kennedy and Terry Donovan tottering around the place (Actually Terry was was very spritely and full of beans. For a bloke approaching 70, he has far more joie de vivre than his son Jason has manifested lately).

Then I went home and, feeling intimidations of mortality, hit the whisky, music mashups, photoshop and called up old girlfriends now living in other countries. As you do.

Now they’ve all gone to bed which is why I’m commenting here now.

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:48:02 +0000

I can assure you Ms LE aint gonna follow suit and leave it, Wbb!

Work commitments dont really wash as an excuse.

I’ll be on 7am duty for the foreseeable future!

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:46:11 +0000

Will do my best, LE! I’m not sure if it’s gone down the “aging membership” thing that bowls and RSL clubs have done and thrown itself open to all comers not just members, though…

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:33:07 +0000

Yes, some of them are my in-laws. I got myself embroiled in the whole German-Australian deal through Ms LE.

Anyway – sposed to be good. I expect a full report from LPs roving Brisbane nightlife correspondent!

By: wbb

wbb — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:32:30 +0000

Childcare debit meter was at max after 10 days in …

I don’t know where to start with that one. Will leave it for everybody’s sake.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:27:02 +0000

I’ve never been there, but know someone who used to go regularly in the early to mid 90s. Old German and Austrian blokes drinking schapps was the story back then!

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:23:21 +0000

Agreed (and aggrieved)

Pineapple might be slightly better now – old bar at front is much the same.

Btw: a friend gave me a heads-up on the German Club at the gabba. Reckons its one of the best, most untouched pub in Brisbane.

I’ve never been. Will check it out next time.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:19:53 +0000

Story Bridge hasn’t been the same since it was renovated!

/grumble

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:17:00 +0000

A baby! Pass on congrats. Seems to be a lot of it going around in Brisbane, anyway.

Btw: the Pineapple has had the same reno job done on it as the Story Bridge, they look just the same now!

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:54:27 +0000

Will do, Lefty E. I think she was having a holiday in Melbs pre the whole baby thing.

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:43:07 +0000

Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar Mark… I hadn’t been there in years either, but the last time was definitely a friends buck’s night thingy back in 99.

Coincidentally, I just saw your sister (from a distance) at Tullamarine earlier this evening.

Childcare debit meter was at max after 10 days in Timor, so had to scurry along. But say hi from me!

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:39:04 +0000

That’s a pub I haven’t been to in about a million years (= over a decade and a half). In fact Lefty E, you may have been there the last time I was. 91ish. My sister, her ex, etc. And a very large group of Maori blokes who’d been playing social rugby.

By: Lefty E

Lefty E — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 12:33:35 +0000

Flew back from Dili on Saturday, spent the night in Brisbane on a lightning visit: bit of a pub crawl with friends ending up at the Pineapple.

Brekky at Cantina on Hardgrave road (yum!), soaked up some excellent brisbane rain, and back to Melbourne!

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:43:17 +0000

Each city has its own charm. Having said that, on my one visit to Perth, I was struck by how it felt a lot like Brisbane back in the 80s – shops closed on Sunday, no bars that weren’t pubs, CBD that felt like a ghost town after 5pm. In fairness, a lot of the development in Brisneyland is very much a mixed bag to put it mildly, but it really is a city that’s been coming into its own the last few years in many ways.

By: Boy from Flynn

Boy from Flynn — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:37:15 +0000

My brother lived in Perth for about a year Worst, and he says it’s one of the more attractive, better planned cities that he’s seen. I’ll get over your way one day – fair old drive though.

By: The Worst of Perth

The Worst of Perth — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:15:41 +0000

I really want to visit Brisbane. Everyone keeps holding it up as an example of good, interesting development as compared to Perth’s bad, stilted and stupid. Is it really like that? Is the river development really so good? I’ll get there one day.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:58:17 +0000

It might have been good, jethro – if you’re a fan of Claire Hooper from Sideshow that is:

http://www.brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/view/livewired/

But, yep, I walked back from the Valley earlier on this arvo and with the rain and seemingly 95% humidity felt like I’d had an unwelcome steam bath, so I decided something would have to be pretty spectacular to take me out of the house again.

By: jethro

jethro — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 09:54:15 +0000

I saw Dream Theater at the River Stage on Friday night. I was the iconoclast wearing a green safari shirt amongst the hordes of black t-shirts with heavy metal band logos. Wanky prog metal, which is a guilty pleasure, but the musicianship was jaw-dropping.

Last night was dinner at The Vietnamese Restaurant followed by a stroll up to Judith Wright Center to hear The Necks. Bought a CD. Had some beers in the Valley mall watching the girls go by (the mode du jour seems to be dresses that are nothing more than belts, it seems).

Today was supposed to be off to the Powerhouse for some allegedly free comedy event (or comedy-free event, I dunno which) but the rain and alcohol-induced ennui meant I couldn’t be arsed.