All I Want for Christmas

Dear John So,

Christmas is in December and is to do with Jesus. I'm not too fussed about the Jesus part but can you please not close down the CBD in mid-November to start celebrating this festival of consumerism?

You could at least do the decent thing and wait til December 1st.

While you're at it, for Christmas I would like Swanston Street to be closed to everything but trams and pushbikes. If you sort this, I'll forgive you about the November bit OK?

Yours In Anticipation
Melbourne Eyes

Tonight We're Gonna Party Like...

Only in Melbourne could you walk into a launch party where there is a naked male stripper "dancing" on a table, a midget in a cowboy hat on the bar, AND the drinks are free.

I love this town.

Takes One To Know One

From my vantage point in the park yesterday I could see people in the drug rehab centre having a group therapy session. They were laughing, they looked happy, even though they seemed a little wrung out.
It was sunny in their room and it gave off the feeling of safety.

Perhaps therapy should be called something else and then maybe more people would do it. Before things got so bad they needed to do it in sunny rooms in rehab centres. Safety in numbers I guess.

Holy Connex Batman

Riddle me this ticket inspectors?

Why do you fine children wearing school uniforms at Flinders Street station yet let adults get away without buying tickets? Clearly they are studying, hence the uniform. Forgetful maybe, breaking the law by not having their concession card? I think not.

The man I saw jump the barrier this week right in front of you was not pursued.

The pack of women passing one ticket back and forth to let 4 of them through did not seem to warrant your attention.

Pick on someone your own size and punish those that deserve it.

Fringe Dweller

Windy days in Melbourne: My haircut's worst enemy.

Go For Your Life

I think any city-type marathon, a-la today's Melbourne Marathon needs to be over by 9am. Blocking Melbourne's roads for the better part of the day making driving around the city a nightmare is not in the community spirit. Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on a Sunday is not my idea of a day off.

If you want to run a ludicrous amount of kilometres for no other reason than to say you have done it, then you must be the kind of lunatic that won't mind getting up at stupid o'clock to get your achievement out of the way before the rest of us want to use the city.

Wise Words

A fairly sketchy looking, junky-type guy gave me his 2 hour ticket at Richmond station last Thursday night, so that I wouldn't have to buy one. I offered him $2 but he refused, smiled and simply said "This is how this town should be".

He's right.

Had he asked me for $2 in any other situation I would have said no, assuming it was to buy to drugs. This cynical and judgemental attitude shames me, I often forget how lucky I am and that those less fortunate did not ask to be there.

Thank-you fella for being generous and making me take stock. And for the train ticket of course.