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Happy Friday kidlets! I haven't come across any real gems this week so I thought I'd revert to some old favourites. First of all some more of those tightly-bejeaned lads from OkGo. Cheapest. Video clip. Ever. I particularly enjoy the Matrix-style moves halfway through. And secondly, just because I loves me a funny cat - more funny cats. Enjoy the weather while it lasts - Bureau reckons it's going to turn nasty...

How good is the weather!? Because it's so sunny and pleasant I'm not going to spend time bloggerising. Instead, here are some interesting things: A newish blog in town by foody friends of ours, Happy Guts is dedicated to reviewing restaurants in Melbourne and worth a browse. Mr Lefty and his enormous brain hammers home his point about the Red Cross missile scandal in Lebanon and the response of blancmange-face Downer and his Righty bat-winged monkies. I'm going to be in a show with these people. I anticipate it will be fun and I insist you all attend. Now GO OUTSIDE ALL OF YOU!

That is all. Oh OK. You can make your own church sign here .

On Saturday morning, a 77 year old man was killed after being hit by a cyclist on Beach Rd in Mentone. That someone was killed walking in front of a bicycle is not surprising. Pretty much anyone who rides a bike in Melbourne will have had a pedestrian walk in front of them without looking at one time or another. The difference in this case is that this man was killed crossing with the 'green man' at pedestrian lights, by a 'peleton' of 200+ unofficially organised amateur riders that were either unable, or unwilling to break the bunch and stop in time. I can't help but think that bike/car relations in Melbourne are reaching some sort of crisis point. My daily ride to and from work, mainly along bike-friendly back streets, attracts abuse from motorists (and pedestrians) probably once a week on average. People hate bike riders. As a cyclist, the contempt with which I am treated by those in cars and pedestrians is really quite confronting. A short ride is enough...

I am constantly astounded by the Federal Government's ability to repeatedly enrage me. Every day it seems a new policy is announced , or a decision is made , or a decision is avoided , or a dog whistle blown . It's like they have planted little spylets in my brain and they have a whole army of men in white coats analysing the data that flows forth to develop policy that will most effectively piss me off. But despite the astonishingly long list of badness, this is among the most insane and appalling acts this government has pulled. Why there is not more outrage in the community is a reflection of how effectively Howard and his repulsive right-wing cronies are changing the way Australians think about themselves. That despite being tried and acquitted by the justice system of Australia, Phillip Ruddock can have Jack Thomas placed under house arrest, is surely one of the most extreme interventionist and obstructionist government actions ever undertaken in this country. The ...

The work I do is kind of seasonal. In other words, we have periods when it gets mentally busy (as in really busy, not really thinky) and other times when there's not so much to do. We are currently in the not so much to do period. Essentially, at the moment if I want to do something, I need to pretty much make it up. I suspect it's a bit like being a Management Consultant: Management Consultant 1: "Hmm, what are we going to do today?" Management Consultant 2: "I know, let's just make something up because I have no idea what a Management Consultant is." Management Consultant 3: "Great brainstorming team. Make sure you bill this session as a half-hour block." You get the drift. Consequences of having nothing to do: Boredom Laziness Increased blogging Decreased motivation Etc. It's not an enormous surprise then that this is the time most people at my work choose to take leave. I LOVE leave. So much so that I treasure it like a pirat...

Sydney peoples. Liz Stringer will be heading your way very shortly to play a couple of gigs @Newtown (that's not me being trendy and "down with the youth", that's the name of the venue). Friday week, 8 September with the very attractive and extremely energetic Carus and the Aussie man with the voice ripped straight out of the Mississippi delta Goodrem , Ash Grunwald . Then backing it up with another show at the same venue two weeks later with the unjustly spunky and quite lesbianic Canadian hotness Ember Swift on Friday 22 September. You should go. It will be good.