Review: My new wheels

I bought myself a new bike last week. I have not been much of a cyclist in the past but I live in such a cycle-friendly area of a cycle-friendly city that I finally bit the bullet and got myself a new ride.

My new wheels of choice are the Alamode CRS City.

From what I gather this new 'brand' is the budget offshoot of the Giant company. As I am a novice cyclist I thought rather than splurging on top-end gear straight away I would dip my toes in the shallow end of the pool first with something a little more affordable. If I find I'm using it a lot I figured I will upgrade down the track.

I chose the 17" men's model, mainly because it came in black opposed to the champagne colour offered in the women's model. Call me shallow – you won't be the first.

Despite being a men's model, the crossbar is reasonably low. Shorter women might prefer a women's model (with a much lower crossbar), but for a woman of average to tall height the men's model is perfectly fine. The riding position is relatively upright, which means less stress on the lower back (from leaning forward) and therefore a more comfortable ride.

Speaking of which, I am pretty sure that the 'C' in 'CRS' stands for 'comfort'. The Alamode CRS City is a hybrid bike, meaning that it has a frame similar to a mountain bike, but with thinner tyres; the tyres are somewhere between the thickness of the tyres you'd find on a road bike and those on a mountain bike. Road cyclists use thinner tyres because they mean less friction and therefore more speed. They can also mean that you will feel every little pebble and are more prone to punctures. By being somewhere in between, hybrid tyres offer the best of both worlds and for this reason are becoming an increasingly popular choice.

The Alamode CRS City has 21 gears using Shimano indexed shifters which means that the gears simply 'click' into place – there is no messing around trying to find the gear yourself. The bike also has a quick-release seat and front wheel making adjustments and changes quick and easy.

I opted for the model with mudguards and a rack on the back, in case I ever ride through a puddle (likely) or decide to go on a picnic and need to carry a basket (not so much). A similar model (the CRS 1.0) offers front-wheel suspension as an alternative to the mudguards/rack option. I imagine that the mudguards and rack add a little extra weight - this is not a light bike, but with an aluminium frame it isn't heavy either. It feels sturdy which to me, as a novice, is reassuring

The Alamode CRS City is a really comfortable ride. With hybrid tyres it’s not something I’d want to be taking off road much, but on city roads and cycle paths it is ideal. With indexed shifters changing gears is so easy, meaning that even a beginner like myself figured out how to get up a hill within the first few minutes of riding. The hybrid tyres offer a good combination of speed and comfort. The upright riding position of this bike is ideal for anyone with lower back problems, although it isn't as aerodynamic as a road bike (isn't it fun to race down a hill with your head over the handlebars to see just how fast you can go?) and doesn't look as funky as those cool kids on their fixed gear bikes. But overall, as an entry level bike at an affordable price, I couldn't recommend the Alamode CRS City highly enough.

What: Alamode CRS City hybrid bicycle
Where: Ivanhoe Cycles
How much: $329

William Angliss Institute

In April I went to William Angliss Institute for lunch during their 'Great Chefs' Program. Angliss is a training college in Melbourne specialising in hospitality and tourism. The college has a training restaurant where hospitality students learn silver service. The prices are very reasonable and the food and service was fantastic. The 'Great Chef' the day we went was Brendan McQueen of Matteo's in Nth Fitzroy.



Above is the entree, a Japanese inspired seafood plate... (clockwise from bottom) Carpaccio of hiramasa kingfish, prawn remoulade, shiso Japanese basil dressing; ocean trout confit, yuzu miso sauce, yarra valley salmon roe; teriyaki glazed baby squid filled with smoked eel, rice crusted tofu, pickled plum and bonito mayonnaise.



Five spiced crispy skin duck breast, peking cabbage and bamboo shoot 'okonomiyaki' pancake, bbq duck sauce.



Glazed peaches between honey glazed filo pastry, peach liqueur cream.


Yum.

I'm a little bit in love with Beth Ditto

On Sunday night I had the immense pleasure of seeing The Gossip play the sold out Prince Bandroom.

The Gossip, aka. The Ugliest Band in Rock (have you seen their album
shots?), have garnered a lot of publicity in the lead up to this tour with
lead singer Beth Ditto in particular getting a lot of media coverage. She
is brash, outspoken and based on last night’s evidence, one HELL of a
performer.

From the moment Beth opened her mouth and belted out her first note I was
smitten. This woman can sing. She has a real presence on stage and her
personality and charisma are palpable. But it’s the voice that does it for
me. It was amazing. If you’ve heard any of their album tracks, multiply the
timbre, strength and energy of the vocals tenfold and you’ll get an idea of
the sound. Beth bantered with the crowd, had a wee sit down to take off her
shoes, and took great delight in learning a new Aussie phrase “pink bits”.
Here’s hoping it’s something she can include in a future track. She is not
shy, she is obviously enjoying herself and she has a great onstage
presence. This woman is a star.

The crowd obvious enjoyed the energy and skill of the set and the vibe was
electric. The band peppered their set with cheesy 80s tracks (such as
‘Simply the Best’ and ‘Addicted to Love’) as intros to their own which gave
everyone a laugh. Their best known track 'Standing in the Way of Control'
was saved for last and the crowd went OFF. Beth made her way into the front
of the audience for a bit but the track was somewhat marred by two dancing
idiots who distracted somewhat from the song. The band (and security)
didn’t seem to mind too much and were so relaxed that I thought perhaps it
was a set up. The Gossip came back for a single encore... bizarrely enough
they played George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’ – Gossip style (which was
far far better than the original in my opinion). My only criticism, if you
can call it that, was that the set was over too soon. I – and everyone else
I’m sure – wanted more!

I have liked The Gossip since I first heard their album 'Standing in
the Way of Control' but after last night’s gig I am #1 Superfan. This was
the best gig of 2007. It is rare to come out of a gig feeling as though you
were part of something big and last night there was an unusual sense of
elation at the experience. I feel privileged to have seen them play in
what is a relatively intimate setting and I will be first in line for
tickets to any future tours.

Sun Dirt Water

The Waifs are one of my favourite bands and last night, despite a shocking cold, I ventured out to see them play live once again.

The Waifs are true musicians and they have an easy-going stage presence. Last night Donna spent much of the show bantering with the crowd, telling us why she was in a bad mood (the airline had lost her sister Vicki's luggage so they'd spent all day shopping); how she was jealous of Vicki (because the crowd goes wild whenever she pulls out the harmonica, plus she gets to sing all the happy songs); and how she hoped their new album would be a success because Josh still didn't have a roof on his house. She also took the unusual step of claiming not to particularly like one of the new tracks they'd just played, suggesting it was "music to clean the house to".

I've seen the Waifs play a few times now, and they always put on a good show. But last night's gig was a little flat. It was perhaps partly because they played a lot of new material which the crowd wasn't familiar with. This is fair enough, especially given these are warm-up shows before the release of a new album in September. Additionally, from the stage banter, I gather the trio had just landed after a long-haul flight from somewhere and were suffering the numbing effects of jet-lag. Vicki apologised for the "funny gig" and jet-leg with a "it's not your problem". Perhaps next time they need to give themselves a day or two to recoup before they play.

But the biggest problem with the gig was the venue. And not only because I was charged $5 for a 350ml bottle of water. It was the wackiest music venue I've ever been to. And I don't mean wacky in a good way. The band are playing four small gigs in the lead up to the release of a new single (Sun Dirt Water) in August, followed by a new album in September. The gigs are meant to be intimate affairs for true fans. Last night, at the Factory Theatre in Enmore (which is miles from anywhere, mind you), the gig was anything but intimate. The venue was like a cross between an RSL and a reception centre, with chairs set out theatre-style so punters took their seats and stayed in them. It was the sort of place I'd expect the piano accordian trio from Grandad's retirement village to play. The room seemed only half full, which was a blessing and a curse. It was great because it meant we were able to sit down (on comfy couches, with a great view of the stage, yeh!) but it also meant the gig lacked atmosphere and the crowd passion. At one stage Vicki commented that it was "a bit like a conference, almost". And she was right. I can't help but think the band must have been a bit taken aback by the reception to their new material, especially as this was their first show spruiking it. I can imagine the gig at the Corner will be much more passionate and exciting.

And the verdict on the new tunes? The band has apparently spent much time in the US over the past couple of years and it shows in their music. The American influence in their bluesy-folk was apparent and in some tracks so obvious were the derivations that I wondered whether they were pulling the piss. Equal measures of upbeat tracks (sung mainly by Vicki, much to Donna's chagrin) and slower ballady types made for typical Waifs material. Of course a few old tracks (Highway One, Lighthouse, London Still) were thrown in for good measure, as was a new interpretation of Without You which has also been included on the new album. I'm a big fan of the Waifs, and I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt after last night's show. I look forward to hearing the new album and seeing them play again in a few months time, at a better venue, when they've hopefully put the live polish on their new material.

I'm a rockslut!

In a move somewhat (very) out of character, on Saturday night I attended a Guns n’ Roses concert. I do like the rock n’ roll music, but I’m not generally what you may consider a rockslut. I prefer pub gigs to stadium spectaculars, independent Aussie acts to worldwide superstars.

That said, I’m a fan of the nostalgia. The Gunners were big in the late 80s, and their music reminds me of my late-primary school years. Other big-haired rockers also take me back to this time – Poison, Bon Jovi, Warrant. Back then I had a friend who was keen on harder music – her black pencil case was covered with band names like AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the Gunners, of course. My pencil case was more likely to be scrawled with Bros, INXS and NKOTB.

So when I was given a ticket to the Gunners concert, I was a bit indifferent. I suppose I was a little excited, in an ironic kind of way. And really, it’s hardly the ‘Gunners’ anymore. Axl Rose is the last man standing. The original band has been replaced with a seven-piece outfit (creative differences, anyone?), although they’re still all long hair and guitar solos. Axl too, has changed. No longer the whippet-like frontman in white bike shorts, he now more closely resembles Meatloaf.


The Gunners haven’t released an album for years. Their as yet unreleased Chinese Democracy album gave the theme for this series of shows, with huge banners of Chinese characters framing the stage. Why Chinese Democracy? Since when have the Gunners been political? Is Axl doing a Bono? I doubt it.

The gig itself was littered with all their classics from the late 80s. The crowd loved these tracks, lapping it up. But unfortunately there was also a fair share of duds, tracks we’d never heard before (from the new album, perhaps?). There were also guitar and piano solos every three or four tracks, mostly to give the frontman a break. This added to the length of the show, which hadn’t started till after midnight as it was. Suffice to say I was a tired little rockslut on the way home.

There goes the weekend

I haven't watched The West Wing for over 12 mths. I have all episodes on dvd and I have only completed viewing the first three series. What is wrong with me?


I used to be a regular viewer. Every couple of weeks my flatmates and a few friends would get together, cook up a storm, and watch a few eps. It was great, a chance to catch up over some gourmet food and then sit in silence, and awe, to appreciate some of the finest scripting around. My West Winging friends, writers all of them, loved the show as much as I and we would argue at the end of each episode whether we could squeeze another in.

Back then, The West Wing was buried in increasingly bizarre and changable timeslots on late night tv here in Australia. It has now moved to our national broadcaster, where the program has a regular, primetime slot. This is great news for tv viewers. Me, I prefer dvd. No ads, and I can watch it at my leisure.

However my 'leisure' is ever diminishing. I have a lot of stuff on. It's one of those facts of life; growing up, working, spending time with friends and loved ones. For me these things naturally take precedence over tv. While living overseas for a while I could watch a couple of episodes each night. I could squeeze it in given the lack of programming in my native language - and my lack of much of a social life. But back home I get distracted. It doesn't help that the Significant Other has yet to be converted. She doesn't like tv much. But I know she'd like The West Wing if only she'd give it a chance. Just like The L Word, which she didn't want to watch either. She's funny like that.

To be honest, I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe. Twenty-two episodes, to me, is a big commitment and I have trouble making the time to regularly keep up. I certainly couldn't commit if I had to watch it in the old-school, broadcast way. No chance.

Anyway, today I took a day off work, a Mental Health Day. My emotional wellbeing has been strained by an unsupportive work environment over the past few days and I decided that a day off was just what I needed. So I have elected to use my time wisely and get back into The West Wing. I dusted of series 4 and upon viewing episode 1 it's all come back to me. What was I thinking, shelving it for so long? God I love this show. The writing is superb. The characters are intelligent and witty. I want to work with them. I want to BE them. I want these people to really be the leaders of the self proclaimed free world. If only it weren't fiction.

So now I'm trying to figure out a way that I can be professionally unemployed. I want to be able to stay home and finish watching the next 80-odd episodes of The West Wing and still get paid. There must be a way. I bet CJ could figure it out.

F*ck The Pain Away

I went to a Peaches gig last night. I'd never seen her live before, and I was not disappointed. It was a guitar-tossing, bra-waving, drumstick-twirling, nipple-squirting, arm-wrestling, slam-dancing, knicker-dropping (4 pairs IN ONE TRACK!), glam-rocking, crowd-surfing, ass-kicking night of funness.

Peaches looks like the result of a dirty night of lovin’ between a 70s wrestler and a Vegas stripper – she’s all silver hotpants, hot pink capes and sequinned brassieres. Her band, Herms (an abbreviation of Hermaphrodites, obviously) were also hilarious especially the two boyish guitar/keys who seemed to be at their frontwoman’s beck and call when it came to all sorts of hijinks (80s glam makeup/patty cake/push ups/slam dancing/arm wrestling/dry humping etc).

There are some pics here.

Opening act Macromantics was pretty damn hot too.

Spice Up My Life

This weekend I had the pleasure of watching Spiceworld - the Spice Girl's Movie. I first saw the film a number of years ago with my young (female) cousins who knew all the words to the entire film, soundtrack and all the dancemoves. The next time I saw the film was at a girly sleepover movie night when we watched other girly classics like Dirty Dancing and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. It had been a number of years since I'd viewed Spiceworld, and I'd almost forgotten just how good it is.

Before seeing their film I wasn't a fan of the Spice Girls . I thought they were the worst example of a contemptuous music industry grinding out manufactured nonsense for what they thought the market would consume. I first watched the movie against my will, when it was the only way to keep my young cousins quiet one night when I was babysitting them. The antics of these young girls, singing and dancing along to the ridiculous movie won me over.

Spiceworld really is a ridiculous movie, and it changed my opinon of the Spice Girls. The film is a pisstake, a parody of the highest degree with the Girls mercilessly taking the piss out of themselves, their music, their industry, their peers, the film trade, and their lives in general. Essentially the film covers a few days in the lives of the Spice Girls at the height of their fame, with the Girls playing themselves and thus perhaps not having to act too much. Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, does a particularly good job of taking the piss out of her character. There are A-list cameos from the likes of Elton John, Roger Moore, Jennifer Saunders, Bob Geldof, Meatloaf and Barry Humphries and apparently much of the film was ad-libbed. It is camp, it is silly and it is so nice to see performers who don't take themselves or their careers too seriously.

Spiceworld was produced nearly ten years ago but thanks to the ridiculous costumes and the soundtrack (like it or not many Spice Girls tracks are now considered pop classics) the film has aged particularly well. It was also interesting to note that Scary Spice (Mel B) is totally HOT! How did I not notice this before?? All in all Spiceworld is a top film - funny, silly and surprisingly entertaining.

Sam Newman is a Knob

Last night I had the displeasure of catching about twenty minutes of The Footy Show (AFL version). I have watched this show sporadically in the past but hadn't seen it for a few years and this of course was my first experience of the new Eddie-less incarnation. I can't say I particularly like new hosts Gary Lyon or John Thwaites James Brayshaw but it's that tool Sam Newman who really gets my goat*.

It's common knowledge that Sam Newman is a tosser but I found watching him last night to be so totally and utterly offensive that I would liked to have hurt him. I am not a violent person but I wouldn't mind giving him a smack in the kisser. Within ninety seconds he had managed to demean gays (three times), the mentally disabled, women and the entire population of Sydney. His sleazy, dirty old man act is just plain creepy and he doesn't seem to realise just how pathetic he is.

I rarely let such trivialities offend me but the degree of this man's homophobia, sexism and general stupidity has hit a nerve. I cannot believe that Channel Nine allows this sort of behaviour from its 'personalities' and I can't believe the stupidity of the Australian viewing public for allowing him to get away with it for so long. I guess appealing to the lowest common denominator really does pay.

Would someone please punch him in the nutsack. Now. Ta.




* I don't really have a goat but if I did I wouldn't be letting Sam bloody Newman anywhere near it.

Free = Good. Usually.

I went to Wagamama on the weekend. I would not recommend it. As the Significant Other says, it’s McDonald’s with stainless steel.

I had previously avoided Wagamama not necessarily as a protest against Globalisation and World Domination by Chain Restaurants, but simply because I think we have such a diversity of wonderful Asian cuisine in Melbourne that it seems ridiculous to resort to a franchise for my ramen. However I was fortunate (?) enough to receive a free meal (including entrée and drinks!) courtesy of my cushy plush job where I get lots of free stuff. Not being one to turn down a free meal (including entrée and drinks!) I took the Significant Other along for a cheap date.

Neither of us were impressed. This was despite the free beer.

Free = Good.
Beer = Good.
Free + Beer = Wonderful.

We were informed by perky accented types that virtually no meals incorporating chicken were available, thus diminishing the menu by about half. Chicken would normally be my Protein of Choice at such an establishment, so on this occasion I went for a vegetarian option. It was flavourless and boring, even with my addition of lots of chilli powder & chilli oil (supplied on the table/bench. Also Free). The S.O. had a prawny affair resembling a laksa. It wasn’t up to scratch either although it did appear to have a decent amount of prawns garnishing the bowl. It was conveyor belt food and I don't mean the fun Sushi Train type.

Result: Avoid the multinational and visit your local Asian take away – the food will be more imaginative and flavoursome and you’ll get that nice warm feeling that stems from supporting your local economy.

Ps – I was ASStounded (yes, ASStounded) by the similarities between Wagamama and Chocolate Buddha. ASStounded. Same Same Not Much Different. Right down to the way Cute Waiters record orders on the paper table mats. Only real difference was the slightly more interesting atmosphere (trinkets on the walls, lighting, view etc) and lack of uniforms at C.B.