Cablog

Moving Pictures

Right now, the hottest video on the Web is by Judd Laipply, an American comedian who performs an hilarious routine called The Evolution of Dance. It's really good, but my favourite is Austrian mime artist, Johann Lippowitz performing Natalie Imbruglia's Torn.

Right now, the hottest cabbie in Australia is Brisbane driver, Manjitt,

"Manjit - a 49-year-old Indian-Australian cab driver - is so proud of being an Aussie that he has composed a music album, singing of his love for Australia and its people. After selling over two thousand copies of his homemade CD to his cab customers and attracting considerable attention in his hometown of Brisbane, this singing cabbie has filmed a Bollywood video-clip for his most popular song "Song Australia"."

Manjitt can be seen tonight, Wednesday, 7.30pm in an SBS TV doco, Inside Australia. Additionally, look out for Andrew Denton's Enough Rope in the coming weeks for an episode called Three Cabbies. I'll give an update on exact screening day.

Finally, for any Sydney motorists driven to frustration by our endless traffic jams, check out some traffic-cameras around New York City. You'll feel better. See New York Hack.

Outside the Box

One of my favourite television shows is The Apprentice, unfortunately off the air at the moment. There’s a certain enjoyment observing how successful people respond when forced to operate as a team. The psychology of group dynamics in a business environment is infinitely more interesting to me than say, Big Brother or Survivor. And if you’re a fan of the show check out the feedback on The Apprentice Blog.

On Monday night I carried a woman in the financial industry who had spent the day at a company workshop. Despite it being Bank Holiday she’d chosen to take part in the voluntary workshop where they were given a task based on The Apprentice. The aim of the exercise was to encourage staff to ‘think outside the box’...

Friday night chicks

As is my wont, I’ve just spent Friday night on the couch. My one and only night off these days. As such it’s devoted to watching ABC TV, starting with the 7pm News. Straight off it hit a high note with news of Labor’s blood-letting over the leadership issue. For a party which offered itself as the compassionate alternative last election, they certainly don’t practice what they preach. How sweet it all is...

Idolmania

After an 11 hour Sunday night-shift, with 60 hours left this week, I should be off to bed. But I’ll give you a brief cab report on the Australian Idol 2 finale, held last night at the Opera House. Only because I carried the winner in the cab recently. But first...

The City was almost a ghost town early evening, particularly during the three hour broadcast. The suburbs especially so. For all the trendy bad-mouthing of Idol around town, almost everyone stayed home to watch, it seemed.

In the cab Casey, the 16 year old winner (image here), was the popular choice by far. And it would appear she was a worthy winner. Congratulations and good luck to her...

Me interview, eh..

Just now

Here's an image of the cab set-up for this arvos interview conducted by TV NZ.
via Moblog

Shameless promotions

In a shameless piece of self-promotion, I'm exhorting readers to tune into Mondo Thingo, tomorrow Thursday at 10pm on ABC TV. Why ? Yours truly appears in a segment mentioned earlier featuring my cablogging. Plus you get to ogle presenter Amanda Keller and superstud Steve Kinnane ! All this and more for just eight cents a day. Cheap, considering...

In a shameless, yet related piece of cross promotion, a dress gave me a plug on tele last Friday nite...

The forum

Well, I took part in the SBS forum earlier tonight, discussing the election choices. They seated me up front with Greens leader Bob Brown and Democrats boss Andrew Bartlett. Why do men wear purple shirts, I wonder... Anyway, I had the first and last word, as cabbies do. The other 58 minutes had health issues dominating. In the end I scored a great fare out to the western suburbs. More when I get home.
via Moblog

I'm dreamin'

I’m flying up the Eastern Distributor from the airport towards the City, doing a hard 80 klicks. Passing through the tunnel under Dacy Avenue, I’m struck by a sudden heart seizure which throws me to the floor and wedges me under the steering wheel. But it’s cool. So automatic is this section of freeway to me, I visualise still holding my lane as we approach the next tunnel.

It’s the German tourist in the back-seat who has my attention, as he leans over the front yelling and pointing. Climbing back in the saddle I wonder what his problem is, as we haven’t crashed, nor lost speed or time. It’s the meter he’s pointing at - it’s reading $00.00. I must have knocked it on my way down, or during my brief spasming on the floor, clearing it back to zero.

‘No worries mate,’ I reassure him, ‘I’ll adjust the fare for you...’. ‘Ya, ya,’ he complains, ‘always the same. London, New York, Singapore - always taxi drivers pulling tricks to rip us off...’.

Moblog image demo

Here's a demo mobile posting of a phone image during yesterdays television interview. Unfortunately, I was a little overconfident for the camera and should have used two steady hands for better definition. Not to worry, you get the picture.