Just did some much needed housecleaning of my weblog link list down there… Added a few new ones as well as some Sydney food blogs that I’ve been obsessed with lately.

Speaking not as a Microsoft user but purely as a shallow marketing-driven consumer: Longhorn = great name. Vista = stupid name. I can’t even type it; I keep typing Visa.

As my friend Fiona is always getting to visit me in the shop, today I decided to visit her where she works: the ABC. I’ve been by the Ultimo location several times but I’d never been inside. I was really looking forward to seeing the inner workings of a well-funded, state-sponsored, lefty-leaning broadcast network. (And let’s face it, I’d give my right arm to work for the ABC.) As I waited for her in the lobby, I was amused to see John Doyle (aka Raging Roy Slaven) walk by. Anyway, Fiona’s a designer on Play School, which is a children’s program that runs twice a day here. As I understand it, it’s been running even longer than Sesame Street! Miss Fee was kind enough to give me a tour of her design “dungeon” down in the bowels of the building. It was just wild, like a kid’s dream art cupboard. That’s her in the midst of all the colour and fun. She even opened The Locked Cabinet for me and showed me all the toys! That’s me with Big Ted, Little Ted, and Humpty. Millions of Aussie kids have grown up knowing these toys, and I got to hug them! (Jemima was in the cupboard too, but she was naked and we didn’t want to display her without her dignity.) Even though I haven’t known these characters my whole life, I could still feel how loved and cared-for and played-with they were. Hugging Big Ted is like hugging Grover or Big Bird!

Check it Carlton’s new ad. Pretty cool! Reminds me of something else… Wasn’t it the Rugby World Cup when they had people making a giant player moving across the field? Looks impressive though, and I guess I’ll contribute to their viral marketing campaign… (Link courtesy of Miss Jane.)

Damn. It. I am having weirdo problems all over the place with new computer. Seriously. The first twinge was last Friday when I was trying to burn a CD, and it just refused to write to a blank. (I tested it with a music CD and it played fine; it just didn’t want to burn.) Then a couple days ago I noticed that my iSight camera didn’t start up automatically. I had to unplug it and plug it back in. Tonight I plugged in the iPod for updating… and was informed that it was unreadable and I’d have to restore it to factory settings. So after three hours of headache, it turns out that that wasn’t the problem. It’s the FireWire. The damn thing works perfectly with USB. Didn’t I have this problem before? When the hell is the FireWire on the G5s going to work correctly?

My sister e-mailed to let me know that the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (where she works) is auctioning off signed bowling pins to raise money. (Just scroll down to the ones with the charity ribbon icon.) I think I found the Snook’s birthday present! Heh.

Holy crap! I was just reading through the schedule of events for the Notre Dame Film, Television & Theater Department Reunion this year when a name suddenly leapt out at me: William Mapother! William Mapother went to my university! He’s the creepy Ethan guy from Lost who kidnapped Claire and nearly killed Charlie and kicked the crap out of Jack. Wow.

Put your arms in the air, kids, because we’re officially on a rollercoaster! Yes, I’ve gone from gain to loss to gain. It’s cool; all that candy on Saturday may have been magical but it sure wasn’t Points-free. I can deal with a measly pound. I got renewed inspiration tonight from my friend Katie, who apparently found these posts inspirational enough to join WW herself. Kickass! That’s four people I’ve converted now. I stuck around afterwards to sit through the induction routine with her (since I never really had a thorough one myself), and it turns out I was totally doing a bunch of stuff wrong and never realized! (For example: I was banking my exercise points each day, when you’re actually not supposed to do that. Oops.) I’m a little bummed that Super Fun Leader Megan is leaving us for a semester because of a uni scheduling conflict, but I think the group is vibrant enough to sustain it. And get this – I may have a second job… working the cash box at the WW meetings! The girl who normally does it is leaving so the position is vacant. Nobody else seems to want to do it, so I told Megan I was thinking of volunteering. I apparently get my meetings for free, and I earn some nominal salary as well (like fifteen bucks or something). I kinda like the idea that I won’t be able to skip out on any meetings too. I’m supposed to go early next week to see what it’s like…