Cablog

Of angels...

‘Sometimes I feel so...uninspired’, was a dirge from Steve Winwoods’ supergroup, Traffic. No one probably remembers them. No matter, I’ve been feeling a little flat since the weekend. Spoke to my 'agent' last night who told me I’m over-exposing myself. ‘Why don’t you get back to the story-telling’, he suggested. And he’s right. Time to put the fancy stuff on the back-burner and concentrate on my writing...

Health food

When I've got the chance a favourite dinner of mine is a Turkish mixed plate. Loaded with vegetarian ingredients, freshly made and just delicious. For a cabbie, Mediterranean food is the healthiest fast food in town. Though, some three hours later, the cream garlic number has the windows down and the passengers looking for a quick exit...

Priorities

Early this morning, snoozing on a quiet Star City rank, I was accosted by the beautiful driver of this Ferrari, 'Excuse me,' she said, 'I've had too much to drink and can't drive. I'll give you a hundred dollars to drive my car back to my Point Piper apartment and garage it for me'. 'Nah, sorry lady', I responded, 'I'm going home soon to watch the Olympic marathon'. 'Oh, she slurred, 'you can watch it at my place if you want...'.

Just then, I was awoken by a grumpy gambler wanting Glebe. Life's cruel.
Click image for extra thrill...

A challenge

Yesterday I took advantage of some daylight to produce a report to camera. It's amazing what sort of editing one can effect - this still frame has me poking out my tongue. I'm using it to throw down the gauntlet to both Yobbo and Darp, who also own smart phones, to produce a video doing a piece to camera...

I reckon they'll be up for it as both of them have their ugly mugshots on their home pages. Have a go, ya mugs...

Note : my vid is 739kb, around 1.5mins and opens in Quicktime(free download)

A test

Here's a video running up William St to the famous Coke sign. Would any viewers be so kind as to comment how long the download is and what connection they have ? The original file is 1.1mb but it should be compressed somewhat.
Cheers, Adrian

NOTE : Video opens in Quicktime

Positive discrimination

Notorious button-pusher, Yobbo, has stirred up a hornets nest with a post entitled, In Defense of Discrimination. As it relates, amongst other things, to 'young, good looking flight attendants'. In his comments box, a debate ensues over the merits of 'positive discrimination'.

It's this predjucial term, when applied to the taxi industry which demonstrates it's idiocy. When I studied for my cab license, I was required to complete an English module. To add insult to injury it cost me $30 for a five minute chat with an examiner from the New South Wales Adult Migrant English Centre. A Government outfit.

After receiving an apology from the examiner I asked him, 'How come a Chinese classmate, who has 'passed' this module can't speak English ? At the shop, I have to interpret his lunch order for him !'. 'Oh', he replied, 'we call it positive discrimination. He passes because he's from a minority culture. We figure once he's out on the road, he'll get the hang of the lingo'.

So Chinese Joe hits the road with little or no English, and soon enough a misunderstanding occurs with drunks. He gets bashed from pure frustration, the drunks get a criminal record, Joe sues Workcover and hates skippys forever and, we pick up the bills for this positive discrimination. Beautiful. He/we was set up and set upon by political correctness.

Another case was a year or so ago, when a train travelling into the City was the subject of a bomb notification. The Indian station master immediately called the emergency services and the train and it's passengers were isolated and locked down. They waited for at least an hour. Why ? When the Indian named his station, the emergency services duly rushed to Canterbury. Problem was the station they should have been at was Kirrawee ! The station masters 'English' was indecipherable.

Sure, there may be a place for positive discrimination, but surely there also should be some discretion where it's applied. But then, that's also discrimination. Why not just bite the bullet and make ESL citizens learn the language of their adopted country. We'd truly be doing everyone, least of all them, a very big favour.

Another shift

Another cabbies dinner option is the triple fast Chinese joint at right. It's attached, like an afterthought, to the gas 'n go cab garage on Regent Street. I go for the Singapore noodles at $6.80 served with a broth of uncertain origins. It's all fast, clean and friendly. There I watched a sensational gold medal game of men's table tennis between a Chinese and Korean. The most exciting part of the night. A night which was an exact replica of the previous night. Started badly and just got worse.

Oh, and I carted a thoroughly decent News Ltd cove. After a long day he jumped in the front with a friendly smile and willingness to converse with the working class. He grilled me on cab security cameras, and my blogsite. We laughed at Fairfax try-hards, swapped notes on Tim Blair, gossip columnists, Uncle Rupert, and sang the 'praises' of our ABC.

Later, over dinner with the News Ltd. Daily Telegraph, I read of their latest campaign dealing with speeding road transports. Have you ever been overtaken by a 35 ton weapon of mass destruction at 120 kmh ? Well, to their credit the Tele is taking them on. Something the Fairfax press would consider beneath their 'standing' to pursue.

Thank God for the Tele and their various campaigns on behalf of Joe Average. I will never forget their blaring front page tabloid headlines (so derided by the 'high-brow' readers of Fairfax broadsheets) last month over the bullshit sentence handed down to the killer of the South Coast cabbie. Only after the Tele screamed, did the politicans react and the DPP decide to appeal the case. Thanks Rupt - there's a grieving, fatherless family who now feel not so forgotten.

An Olympic tonic

As usual last night I left for work late, but keen. Unfortunately, the night was doomed from the start. To tell you why would necessitate bagging some work colleagues. But that's life and the best laid plans...so I formalised a shitty shift by ending early. Suffice to say, not only did I come home in a foul mood but also with the grand total of $63 after 7 hours. Of which 10% goes in GST to Johnny and the rest needs to be taxed.

The upside however, was the early finish gave me a rare opportunity to sit down and watch the Olympics. Namely the womens marathon. I was certainly in no mood to blog. Now though, by the end of the race, I feel fine. And it’s due to the awesome abilities and efforts of those marathon runners. To watch the sheer heartbreak for some and pure exhilaration for others, has been just the tonic I needed tonight.

It's amazing to think that for these super athletes, a lifetime of training and dreaming is compressed into one event, just under 3 hours long. For the Japanese winner, it's a life changing experience. Her existence from hereon has just moved into the stratosphere. Right now they must be going nuts in Japan. And so they should after winning the same event at Sydney 2000. Good luck to her and all the other winners at these Olympics. Awesome and awe-inspiring.

UPDATE : 4.28am. Just saw Jana run second in the semi-final of the 400m hurdles. Her odds in the final will be attractive. Like a bet ? Back her.

The Peacemakers

Whilst having dinner last night at Harrys, I noted nearly all berths were occupied at the adjacent Royal Australian Naval dockyard, Garden Island. I love seeing that for it indicates to me everything in our world is sweet, when the Navy's at home. This is illusory of course. The nearest ship was a visiting American naval vessel, the USS Salvor,

USS Salvor ARS 52 is the third ship of the newest auxiliary rescue and salvage class of vessel constructed for the US Navy. The rugged construction of this steel-hulled vessel, combined with her speed and endurance, make Salvor well-suited for rescue and salvage operations throughout the world. The hull below the waterline is ice-strengthened.

So when finished eating, I took the ten short steps to the perimeter fence. Whacking the phone against a fence upright, I snapped a few shots of an impressive head-on profile of the Salvor, some fifty odd metres away. Then I decided to get some closer pics and walked over to the guards gate.

Just then a security guard wandered in. 'Hey mate,' I called, 'Alright if I take some shots from here ?'. Well, it wasn't alright as I'd crossed an arbitary boundary at the street building line. It's actually a Federal law. He also pointed out it is illegal to take shots through the fence. So I won't be posting the previous shots. However he indicated the shot below would be alright as it is taken from the street precinct.

This is an image (click-on to enlarge) of the HMAS Darwin, a guided missile frigate currently based in both Sydney and Perth,

HMAS DARWIN (FFG-04) is a long-range escort with roles including area air defence, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. She can counter simultaneous threats from the air, surface and sub-surface.

For a full breakdown of its hardware and capabilities, the ship has an information page. I provide this information especially for my American friend who bombards me with emails bemoaning Bush and his militarisation of the world. Darling, whoever said freedom was free ?

Dining out

What could be better than dinner at Harry's Cafe de Wheels ? Probably lots of things but cabbies often have no choice. Here's my favourite - the Tiger. A beef pie with instant potato, mushy peas and gravy. Easy on the gravy mate !
via Moblog