Little Running Bear

So here’s a thing I love about the 21st century. I can lie in bed in New York, see a TV recommendation from a friend, and set my PVR at home in Melbourne to record it so I can watch it when I get home. I did all this without leaving the bed.

This is the future, my friends. We have achieved both convenience at an unprecedented level and laziness at unprecedented distances.

Cynicism aside, I choose now.

Last weekend I was also able to appear on a screen at a friend’s wedding while being thousands of kilometers away. It was emotional and satisfying.

It’s easy to take technology for granted but when it helps us overcome the tyrannies of distance, it still feels miraculous to me.

By the time I got into the apartment last night it was 8:30pm. That makes it 27 hours door to door. That’s long enough to make any human crave comfort.

After checking in with people back home and showering I felt vaguely human. After walking the streets for an hour, sucking down a street gyro and chasing it with a cherry coke zero, I felt like I was in New York again. It doesn’t take much.

I found it difficult to settle and helped myself sleep with some doctor prescribed assistance and the next thing I knew it was 11:30 am. I’d already missed the breakfast special at Sunburst Espresso.

A shave and another shower and I was ready to face the world again.

Breakfast at said diner was two organic eggs, over easy, with turkey on toast. The home fried potatoes, which I usually avoid, are made with a grilled red pepper that really boosts the flavour. It may be the hunger talking, but it’s a pretty good breakfast and the coffee is great.

Things I had forgotten about:

• people love to have very loud and very personal phone conversations in the street
• every now and then some guy will pass by with his headphones on singing or reciting a rap to which only he can hear the backing music
• savoury eggs and a side for breakfast will come with an inexplicable serve of grape jelly

Now I have to hit the road with some errands and get the day started properly.

Dear city, I have returned. Your indifference is satisfying.

In a decision handed down by Fair Work Australia earlier this morning, Qantas has been ordered to resume flights immediately.

The decision was largely influenced by Justice Giudice, President of FWA, and his knowledge of Josh Kinal’s impending visit to New York.

“We had been aware for a long time that Josh had planned to travel to New York this coming Wednesday,” he said. “This industrial action by Qantas really couldn’t have come at a worse time. His friends and family were very concerned.”

Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas, welcomed the decision by Fair Work Australia.

“It was explained to me this morning,” Mr Joyce said, in a brief press conference, “that Mr Kinal has not had the pleasure of a black-bean burrito from Super Taco Express for more than 18 months.”

The CEO referred a number of times to the deliciousness of food from the Mexican takeaway restaurant in New York’s Chelsea district. “It was foolish of us to not take all of these matters into consideration last Saturday.”

Leader of the federal opposition, Tony Abbot, said the industrial action could have been avoided if Mr Kinal had taken Mr Joyce’s call.

“I was recording Boxcutters at the time,” Kinal said, in a statement read by his representatives. “My understanding is that Mr Joyce panicked, hung up and grounded all planes as a response to my outgoing voicemail message.”

“It’s true,” confirmed Mr Joyce. “I really hate leaving a message. I tried sending him a DM on twitter, but he’s not following me. I didn’t know what else to do.”

The proprietors of Super Taco Express called Mr Joyce and Justice Giudice to thank them for allowing Mr Kinal to continue with his plans to “eat the hell out of our beef quesadillas.”

In addition to the monthly plan charge, you will be charged a 50c fee for each separate data session initiated from your device.

via Plans and Pricing – International Roaming – Telstra Business.

Telstra charges a flagfall for international data. What constitutes a session on an iPhone?

This seems like such an outdated bit of pricing. I’m glad NYC has wifi almost everywhere.