I’m currently in Melbourne looking for somewhere to live. We’d have hoped to buy but there’s been 2 people through the Australind abode since it was listed, the property market is rooted in WA at the moment. The plan is to keep the house on the market another month, and if it doesn’t sell we’ll rent it out for 6-12 months until the market picks back up.

That means having to rent in Melbourne instead of buying. There’s no polite way of describing the rental market here: it’s fucking insane.

We rocked up to a 3×1 in Richmond that had a $500-550 list price (something around that mark anyway), the online listing looked great and it said spacious. It was so small I wouldn’t let dog live in it. One of the rooms was so small I wouldn’t have been able to stretch my arms out wide without hitting a wall.

And the really not so fun part: there would have been 50, perhaps more people waiting there to inspect the property. Mostly early 20 something girls oddly enough as well.

We cruised past a few other houses in Richmond, Prahran and South Yarra and have now decided that as much as we want to live close to the city, the rental side is just too insane (the buying isn’t great either, but I can live with that side more). Heading out a bit to the burbs in Balwyn, Balwyn North and Surrey Hills, where you get a lot more house for your money rent wise. Hoping to go through a few homes Monday before I fly back to WA Wednesday (first day back at school Tuesday for the boy) and with any luck I’ll sign up for one, get it, and be moved by the end of the month.

Today I remembered why I like the odd drink…and don’t get me started on the traffic 🙂

Last couple of years have been cold, this year looks like a Christmas of old

For my American friends, who will be feeling the cold, some Fahrenheit cheer, I’ll be drinking some beer!

Have a great christmas.

Got invited to a Goodguys (Australian Electrical Retailer) VIP night last night. I’m still not sure exactly how it worked, but it was 15% off the ticketed price, but I’m not sure if the ticketed price was the normal price or not…these guys usually give 7-10% off for cash anyway.

Didn’t know what I would buy and ended up coming home with a Sharp Bluray player. I actually wanted the Samsung player but they were soo busy they didn’t want to get the box for it (shelf display left only). Ticket price was $469 AUD. The salesman offered me the $599 Sharp for the same price…which he then claimed was $499, I pointed out the Samsung was $469 and I got the I really cant do it for that price spiel..then he did it anyway. I have no idea what the difference between the two players was, aside from the Sharp being more expensive, but perhaps more importantly the Sharp came with 8 free Bluray titles, which given they retail for between $30-$40 makes the freebies worth at least $200, so all in all a bargain.

Got the thing home and there’s no HDMI plug in the box, only analogue plugs; why would anyone buy a Bluray player and use analogue plugs, at the very least they should have included digital composite plugs. Bought a HDMI cable this morning and a couple of Bluray titles. Meet The Robinsons for the boy and Casino Royale and the Fifth Element for me. So far only put Meet the Robinson on…oh my…freaking amazing on our Sony Bravia 1080i (or p, or something) TV. Absolutely amazing, like seeing the movies on the big screens in Myer or Harvey Normam, finally we see the true strengths of owning a Sony True HD TV.

I cant see myself rushing out and buying millions of Bluray titles at the price they’re being sold for, and the player is region locked until I find some way of turning that off so US Bluray titles are out of the question.

I’ve held off for a couple of years as the next gen players have come onto the market. At below $500 they become that much more affordable and time for me to buy in. Of course in 18 months time they’ll be retailing for $100, but these things happen.

As for HD DVD: read this SMH piece; they’re non-existent in Australia; cant find them in retailers and then you cant buy or rent movies on HD DVD. Sorry Toshiba + Microsoft, I would have happily supported you, but Bluray has won already in Australia.

Big news, she who must be obeyed has accepted a job offer and we’ll be moving to Melbourne in the new year, roughly mid January.

I moved to Western Australia in November 1998 after 2 years in Queensland (I’m originally from Sydney) so it was coming up on 10 years, and possibly time for a change 🙂

There are things I’ll miss: the lifestyle, the beautiful clean environment, by far and away the best wine in the world and when I get up to Perth the best most inclusive tech community in Australia. There are plenty of things I wont miss, like not being able to shop or buy alcohol on a Sunday or shop after 6pm on a week night, no gambling, poor roads, poor public school system, too many self important local Governments run by self-important wankers, the local Liberal party which is often to the left of the ALP, stupid debates against daylight saving, The Eagles, the WACA (both the ground + association), Ted Bull on ABC Radio…I’m sure there will be other things as well that will come to mind later.

There’s a couple of big selling points in the move for us; great private schools with choices, a richer and more mentally stimulating environment to bring the boy up in, with a variety of day trips, cheap airfares to the East Coast, great shopping…and of course for she who must be obeyed her mother and that side of her family. We’re hoping to live in the Inner Eastern suburbs, probably around Richmond/ Hawthorn, Prahran/ South Yarra areas, although renting is insanely expensive in Melbourne; buying not so bad but we’ve got to sell our house first then buy a house there, something not always done quickly. Me: I’m just looking forward to 24mbps ADSL2+, I’m mentally typing the OMG OMG OMG’s from the first time I use it now 🙂

Just for the record I’ve decided not to run for the DLP at this election. I think when it comes down to it that I’ve enjoyed my time out of politics too much, and certainly becoming political again risks damaging the great relationships I’ve built up in the last 2 years, and @simone comes to mind 🙂

I’m also not time poor at the moment, and running a campaign properly is a full time gig. On one hand I’ve always passionately believed in the civic good, and the individuals ability to make a difference, on the other hand at 32 I’m building my own business, writing for the bible of Web 2.0 and enjoying my working life more than I ever have before…which oddly enough before coincides with my time involved in politics.

I’ve got a podcast lined up this week with an old friend of mine Wade McInerney on the election, and depending on how that goes I’ll look at  forum discussion and/ or podcast the week prior to the election, but aside from the odd observation that’s it for me this year.

My thanks to the many people who encouraged me in considering running, and for your different opinions for and against.

BTW: you should vote for the LDP in the Senate in particular: Australia needs a good libertarian voice to counter the mad socialism of the Greens and the Religious socialism of Family First on the cross benches. If you’re in Queensland vote Democrat in the senate only because Andrew Bartlett gets new media and blogging: I don’t agree with most of the Democrats platform but Bartlett is definitely one of the good guys.

A totally left of centre offer today: I was aksed to consider running for the Liberty and Democracy Party as their candidate in Forrest.

The initial rush of blood to the head was like blood to a vampire for me: it’s hard to ever get away from politics once you’ve been involved at some stage, and particularly so as I was for 12 years of my life in the Liberal Party.

I’m giving it some serious thought, and I’ll probably sleep on it tonight. On one hand when I quit the Liberal Party that was suppose to be it for me in politics, and given what little it gave back over 12 long years of blood, sweat and tears it should have been it. And yet the LDP has a policy platform that is totally in sync with my fundamental political beliefs, beliefs which I’d note where once Liberal beliefs that were forgotten in the orgy of socialism that is the Howard Government.

Obviously I couldn’t win, but I might get enough votes to make a difference, and maybe even help get the LDP senate candidate up.

More soon.

A little message to My Mac, an official Apple reseller located on Flinders Street, Melbourne.

That’s My Mac, My Mac of Melbourne, My Mac Apple Reseller, My Mac Apple Melbourne 🙂

I’ve just received a call on my mobile that I thought I’d share with everyone rather than complain to the TIO and ACCC.

The phone rings, I answer it.

There is silence, then a foreign ring tone….a sure sign I’m about to talk to an Indian Call Centre.

Me: Duncan Riley Speaking
Call Centre: I’m calling from Primus Telecom and am calling to say that we will be sending you a free phone
Me: OK……., so it’s totally free
CC: Yes
Me: free calls?
CC: You get $29 worth of calls a month
Me: so I get $29 worth of completely free calls
CC: We are sending you a completely free Nokia 53XX
Me: ok, so what is the catch
CC: We are sending you the phone today
Me: I still don’t understand, will the calls be free
CC: you will have $29 worth of calls a month
Me: but will I pay for those calls
CC: $29 a month
Me: so it’s not free
CC: we are sending you a free Nokia 53xx
Me: But I already have a phone
CC: We are sending you a new phone sir.
Me: But I didn’t ask for a new phone
CC: We are sending you a new phone sir.
Me: but I’ll have to pay $29 a month to use it
CC: That includes $29 worth of calls
Me: but I don’t won’t a new phone
CC: you don’t wont a free phone sir?
Me: no, I don’t.
CC: Good bye Sir. (Hangs up).

The worst thing: if I hadn’t asked questions and just listened to “we are sending you a free phone” and thought “you ripper, a free phone” I would probably have agreed to accept the phone, which would have then locked me in to some sort of Primus Plan without knowing it; after all, they would have a voice recording of me saying that I am accepting the phone.

To say this is an appalling scam would be an understatement. I wonder how many unsuspecting Australian’s have received “free” phones from Primus to only discover a month later that they are stuck on a $29/ month plan. Lets hope someone important (ie: in the relevant Commonwealth Statutory Body) reads this and takes action. 

In an age of crap customer service and people who don’t care, every now and then you encounter a company that bucks the trend.

At 10am PST this morning (1am AWST) I got an email from my wife indicating that the hose behind the fridge had broken and that a good portion of the house was ankle deep in water. I Googled Bunbury Flood Help from the other side of the world and found Bunbury Fire and Flood. She who must be obeyed rang them and they were there within 45 minutes with industrial water vacuums etc… and they were nice about it as well. The service includes a dehumidifier and floor board repairs as well.

So a quick thanks to Bunbury Fire and Flood. I hope we’ll never ever need to use again, but I’m more than happy to recommend you to others in need.

But I should add to the post title that it took 30 minutes including me arguing with a Big-W Bunbury floor manager to get this price.

1 big box of lego, advertised (so I found out at the checkout) for $28.88 on special (I’m guessing its usually $40-$50), the floor price as the photo shows:  $8.88. The checkout chick and door person were great, they had to check which is their jobs, but they were good about it. The bitch who met me on the floor on the other hand wasn’t on the same planet: get this, her line was that the lego I was trying to buy was “accidentally” placed on the shelf by a customer and therefore not valid at the price. I asked her repeatedly whether she actually understood what she was saying, given there were 10 other boxes of the EXACT same lego on the shelf how it could be an accident?…indeed the entire display consisted only of the same lego products. It’s only when I started taking pictures and threatening the Trade Practices Act that something was done, by the time I was back at the checkout it was all sorted. Still 30 bloody minutes though. God, I wish we had Wal-Mart in Australia, nothing could be as retarded as anything owned by Coles or Woolworths in comparison…and this is just today’s story, if I blogged every issue I have at one of these stores there would be at least 4 posts a week…like the mole at Coles who bit my head off when I asked where a product was, telling me there was a perfectly good store guide at the end of the isle, or the moldy bread products that were 2 weeks past their use buy date at Woolworths…. 🙂