Lake Como Again

I just discovered a video shot with my iPhone from the ferry across Lake Como last year. Here it is.

Perth Domestic Airport

Here's the remarkable sequence of aerial photos showing Perth Domestic Terminal's staggering growth. From the 1950s to the 1990s, not much happened, but wait till you see the most recent photo.

1953

1965

1974

1985

2006

2014

Cloudy Boulevard

Heading west from Floreat Forum at sunset today, I seemed to be approaching the Rapture. Thankfully I stayed earthbound.

Perth International Airport

There's new construction to be seen every time I visit the international airport. In recent decades the approach along Horrie Miller Drive has transformed from bushland to commercial property and car parks. And every square metre of bush that disappears saddens me further. So I recommend going back in time via Landgate's aerial photography website.

1953

1974

1985

2006

2014

Parking Crimes

This morning, parking spaces at Floreat Forum were at a premium, and many cars were hovering, waiting for spots to open up. So when I chanced upon a spot and was waiting in my car for a rain shower to pass, it was entertaining to observe who was parking in the newly signposted "Parents with prams" spots right by the entrance.

Here are my notes from 11am.

1. Young single guy with no pram

2. Middle-aged pramless woman.

3. Older woman, again pramless.

Personally I'd be ashamed to park somewhere reserved for someone more needy. And with a steely gaze, I tried to let these three miscreants know I was onto them, to guilt them, but they brazenly strolled off, unaffected. So my solutions are twofold:

1. Print up some fake parking infringement notices

2. Replace the "Parents with prams" signs with "Parents with prams, or selfish people" signs.

That'll teach 'em.

Garden Danger

Gardening tip #1 - don't wear a dress shirt when pruning bougainvillea. 

It was shocking to come inside and find a spreading puddle of blood on my arm. But rolling up my sleeve, it turned out to be a small puncture wound from a thorn that soon stopped bleeding. Having decided my chances of surviving the incident were high, my next thought was obviously to take a photo.

Productively Wasting Time

Do you ever kill time mindlessly playing an inane game? During an ad break do you struggle to occupy yourself without resorting to searching the pantry for lost chocolate, or teasing your pets? My recommendation is that you spend those few minutes wisely, on something both entertaining and self-improving. Here are some suggestions.

1. Words with Friends - improve your word power far enough, and you'll be invited onto Dictionary Corner on Countdown, the UK word game show, to fill in for the legendary Gyles Brandreth.

2. Candy Crush - the process of lining up similarly coloured candies in rows may seem pointless, but it is actually perfect preparation for a job in the retail sector (stacking shelves at Big W with biros), or on a production line (e.g.in a lolly factory). When austerity hits and your well paid professional job disappears, you'll be thankful to have the sought-after skill of being able to sort items by shape and colour at high speed.

3. Wordsplay - another word game. Master this game and you'll soon befuddle your friends with your enormous vocabulary. To do well, you need to memorise obscure three letter words, such as as ait, ita, ain, ean, uta etc. So although your conversation will soon be undecipherable, you'll feel superior.