Boonoo Boonoo River, New South Wales Superthread

[Axver]

I've put on Black Holes & Revelations. Just to see if there really is a massive gulf between even that and Drones-era output.

Listening to Map of the Problematique, I would suggest that there is quite a bit of a gulf there.

I think I hated absolutely everything on Drones.

There is literally nothing worth hearing on Drones. Black Holes & Revelations was a right letdown when it came out, but in hindsight it's not so bad. There are some good songs, or songs that became good in concert (I never quite warmed to "Map of the Problematique" in the studio but it's pretty enjoyable live). Drones makes me embarrassed to be listening for it, and disappointed that anybody willingly participated in recording it.

I'm not sure what's worse, Drones or that Dream Theater album, The Astonishing. Both are good examples of bands thinking they have a worthwhile message or story that is so poorly conceived it has the coherence of dog vomit.

 

[Axver]

Here comes that rain! Bloody glad I'm not outside now. Not very heavy but definitely almost horizontal.

 

[coolian2]

Don't miss the rain right now. Been wet too often lately!

 

[coolian2]

Another four hours on public transport tomorrow to visit dad

 

[Axver]

Good lord, are you travelling to- oh wait you're in Auckland, yes, that makes complete sense.

 

[coolian2]

Four hours all up including walking time. Not awful for off peak from virtually the opposite sides of town.

I'm basing it off Friday, and to be fair I did faff around a bit.

 

[Axver]

You could just drive. I mean, that's what Auckland's been built for since the 1950s.

 

[coolian2]

I don't drive. I should given my dad lives in the only area that still steadfastly resists public transport.

 

[Axver]

How on earth do you survive in Auckland without a car?!

I kind of hope I never score a job at an Auckland university because I've fuck all idea how I would get around.

Admittedly I'm somewhat spoiled with the convenience of where I currently live, to the point that if I get this job at La Trobe I'm going to keep living here despite about an hour-long commute. On the occasions I look around at other places none of them can offer such a good location - or, for that matter, it seems rare to find anywhere with a similarly well-sized kitchen.

 

[coolian2]

Be near public transport. I had the train by me in Manurewa and a job in Ellerslie before the city, now I have a city bus stop at the end of your driveway.

It's way easier than it used to be.

 

[Axver]

I confess a strong aversion to commuting, in part because of just how unbelievably spoiled I was with my very first place back in Brisbane when I studied at UQ. I lived off campus, yet almost every class and the library was within ten minutes' walk from my door. I was closer than the people living in halls of residence!

So every commute since then has seemed long, even if my current one is all of about 18-20 minutes, maybe 25 if I make the mistake of going at the worst part of the morning peak.

 

[coolian2]

I'm pretty spoiled now. I've got a direct route to town, or two choices of buses to connect to the bus way, with 2 to 4 minute frequencies. Not to mention I also have the Shore campus if I just need to be on site to focus.

I don't mind commuting. It gives me mental prepare/debrief time.

 

[coolian2]

Oh, and bus or train is better than a car in peak traffic.

 

[Axver]

Actually in a way I do see the perk to a longer commute. I used to live a little further out, and it was just long enough a tram ride to get a decent bit of reading done. But now the tram part of my commute is only about 10-12 minutes (the rest is walking the couple of blocks to my office), so it's not really worth getting out a book. I just get out my phone and flick through the news in the morning and Twitter in the evening instead.

So at least I'll get more reading done if I end up working at La Trobe!

 

[coolian2]

I just don't think I'll get sick of the views from the bus going over the Harbour Bridge.

 

[Axver]

Haha yeah your commute definitely has better views than mine.

Though I do reckon I'm on probably the best tram line in the city. The route through Royal Park is lovely.

 

[coolian2]

Lol it's better than the Southern line.

Plus visiting dad I can take the train across the causeway to Orakei and that's lovely too.

 

[Axver]

Speaking of good commutes, when I lived in Brisbane, even if it took longer, I usually chose the river ferries to get to the CBD rather than the bus/train combo. Those were a great way to travel, especially standing up the front on a hot summer day.

It's a shame that the fuck-ugly Southeastern Freeway buggers up some of the view along the way.

 

[coolian2]

Definitely a better choice!

 

[Axver]

I'm actually not sure I ever used a bus in Queensland until after I stopped living there (school excursions excepted).

And holy shit that bus attack in Moorooka.

 

[coolian2]

Yeah that was fucked up!

 

[Axver]

Bad week for Queensland. I'm still a bit stunned by the Dreamworld thing - that was possibly my favourite ride there. Can't count the amount of times I did it and tried to get as soaked as possible. I get how the two poor sods who fell into the conveyor belt didn't emerge alive, but I'm a little flummoxed how it could possibly have been going fast enough that the two flung out also died.

 

[coolian2]

Yeah, it was definitely my favourite ride there.

Kinda terrifying, can only imagine what happened

 

[coolian2]

I see Italy has copped it again

 

[Axver]

Yep. No reports of deaths so far, but by the sounds of the reports about how much has collapsed, this doesn't seem like it will have a happy ending.

 

[coolian2]

Not looking promising.

Geez my posts look inattentive tonight. I came across The Force Awakens on TV so I was a bit distracted lol

 

[Axver]

I had set myself a couple of writing goals for tonight.

Instead I just found myself reading about Kim Philby and other double agents. Oops.

 

[coolian2]

It happens!

 

[coolian2]

Fuck I'm cold

 

[Axver]

Fuck I'm pleasantly cool after a weekend that was too warm.