Human Powered Cycles promote and foster sustainable transport with the skill, experience and tooling to repair not replace. As well as their commercial venture and its new shop in Thornbury, there is their community bike work organisation called Community Cycles (38 Harrison Street Brunswick East). Here they coordinate the Charity Bike Project where unloved bike and bike part donations go towards providing transport for Asylum Seekers, refugees, newly arrived migrants, unemployed and homeless persons, as well as low cost transport for struggling students and concession holders. On Mondays volunteers come and help refurbish donated bikes for this project. Community Cycles (as well as Human Powered Cycles) accepts these bike donations any day they are open, so if you have a bike not being used or in disrepair, this is a good place for it.

Help them celebrate the opening of their new shop at 562 High Street, Thornbury tonight from 6pm.

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For those who haven’t heard, “SHAC” is the Student Housing Action Collective. The rental market is set to hit the poorest Melbournians hard, and that includes people trying to get through university courses while keeping food on their plates and shelter over their heads. SHAC is demonstrating a fairly powerful solution to the problem, by occupying a university-owned building (that has gone unused for three years while students and other citizens dealt with ever-increasing rents), bringing it up to code, and turning it into a Housing Collective, with plans to make it a community hub.

Since then, they’ve received support from the community and, now, trade unions as well. The University of Melbourne is hoping to kick these kids out, so today they’ve holding a free dinner and collective meeting, leading into a slumber party, to show support for SHAC’s ideas, and to give them a sense of safety in numbers.

From the SHAC blog:

After our highly successful rally and continued community support and solidarity, SHAC has now received a final eviction notice.

4PM WEDNESDAY 3RD DECEMBER - 272-278 FARADAY ST, CARLTON.

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Melbourne a has a new lord mayor - and it’s the much-reviled ex-leader of the conservative (sorry if this is confusing to American readers…) state Liberal Party.

In an article in The Age, Doyle has stated his antipathy towards Melbourne’s street buskers, declaring “They actually do need to be properly licensed and regulated so that we are not just assaulted by a whole lot of different sounds every 10 metres along the footpath.”

For those not familiar with our city, you’ll find yourself assaulted by a cacophony of raucous noises wherever you go on CBD streets - but not from the usually-talented and often-appreciated buskers; rather from the myriad of pseudo-trendy clothing stores that pump their bad pop music up as loud as the human ear can stand it.

But no, in true conservative style, Doyle has singled out one of the great things about Melbourne’s street life - our buskers. Some people may try to tell you that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or that cracking a smile at the less talented buskers is just a part of the fun of a city where people aren’t afraid to be out on the streets. But no, not Doyle.

Even more insidiously, Doyle has threatened to open up Swanston Street to car traffic. The street is already used by a minimum number of cars - taxis, buses, and police vehicles - but the basic idea behind Swanston Street is that it’s a relatively safer street for pedestrians and cyclists. It used to be called the Swanston Street walk. And as somebody who lives on one side of the city, and has to go through the city centre (parallel to Swanston Street) to get wherever he needs to drive, i can tell you from personal experience - there is absolutely no need to open it up to more car traffic. But Doyle wants to get his name out there. If you ask me, he’s only trying to make it clear to those of us who love Melbourne for it’s street life that he’s firmly on one side of the line (probably somewhere around the affluent suburbs… *ahem*), and we’re on the other.

This goal is only underlined by his reference to Melbourne as a “bogan magnet” - a bogan, for non-Australians, is a scruffy person with little fashion sense and a lower-class accent. According to legend they can be found around the far eastern suburbs, always close to a train line, a court, and a welfare office. Doyle doesn’t want any of that sort in his city.

So hey, New Yorkers, how did you get rid of Guiliani? We may be needing some expert scum-removing polish very soon, or at least a pest exterminator that specialises in country-club wannabes.

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Last night, terrorists attacked several buildings in Mumbai, India. Latest news confirmed foreigners were the targets of these attacks. Our colleagues have been covering the events on the Mumbai Metblogs.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a hotline for people with relatives and friends in Mumbai. The number is 1800 002 214. Consular assistance is available on +61 2 6261 3305.

Our thoughts are with those affected by these attacks.

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I mean the golf! Who better to create publicity for the event but John Daly.
Known for his abilities to hit for long distances, he is also notorious for his other abilities, such as gambling and drinking. The latest being found drunk unconscious in front of a Hooters restaurant.

Many golfers will enjoy watching him play, because he behaves like a typically Australian. Drinking and smoking while playing golf. Personally, I would like to see him finish a can of beer per hole, breadth-tested on the last hole and winning the championship! Then the police can cart him off for DUI (Driving a golf ball while under the influence! :)

Otherwise, there are tamer golfers to watch, Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Craig Perry, Peter Senior, Rod Pampling etc.

I guess Mastercard are no longer sponsoring them, therefore, no free entry for mastercard holders. Tickets are at $30 each day, $80 for all 4 days, or $50 for just the weekend.

Check out the Australian Masters website for the latest on tee-off times.

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Just what we all need. A dose of Mother Nature at its finest, we had the hot weather a couple weeks ago, thunder and lightning since yesterday and now hail!

Does wonders to the image of Melbourne as a tourist destination, when friends from the UK are asking me to say hello to the Sun on their behalf.

And I was thinking of attending the “Strawberry and Cherry Weekend Festival“, being held in Bacchus Marsh. Thought it might be a good day for strawberry picking (not).

Oh, guess what, the sun is out now. What’s the chances of seeing a rainbow now?

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Because landlords, real estate agencies and governments have worked to increase rents in Melbourne and make it as hard as possible for those on low incomes (such as students) to live, and because universities (such as U of Melbourne) have worked to bleed cash from as many international students as possible, while tossing them to the mercy of predatory landlords in the surrounding area, a group of students have taken over the vacant premises at 272-8 Faraday Street in Carlton and turned it into a student-run co-operative housing project.

This is an abandoned building owned by the university, that has been sitting there - empty - since the counseling service was moved out in 2005. The occupying students have apparently brought the building up to health and safety standards and intend to turn it into a permanent student housing co-operative. They run free vegan food nights on Mondays and barbeques on Friday evenings. They’re trying to set up skills sharing workshops, so if you have some useful skills/training to impart and are willing to do some volunteer training, they’ll probably be happy to meet you.

You can find them online here:
Student Housing Action Co-operative blog
SHAC Petition to “University of Melbourne Council”

Not tomorrow, but the next Friday, the University has told them to leave the otherwise empty property. So Friday the 28th November will be a rally from 12-2pm. If you can get down there and want to show your support for this sort of initiative, i’ll probably see you there. (Video cameras might also be an excellent thing to bring along if you have one, in case the University tries to waste the police’s time by calling them in to restore the property to it’s empty, useless state.)

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Olives anyone?
Olives remind me of Tuscany, sun and wine; a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon with friends and family. This year’s Annual Olive Festival will have it all, weather permitting.

The 8th Annual Olive Festival will NOT be held at the usual Mt Atkinson Olive & Nut Grove Farm but at the Witchmount Estate, which is accessible from Melton Highway. A short ride from home, Witchmount is next to the Windmill restaurant, another place which you can’t miss from the road, it boasts a windmill!

There will, of course, be the olives and olive-derived products, namely locally produced olive oil. I mean why purchase overseas products made months or years ago when you can buy locally produced, fresh olive oil?

So, make it a day trip, and a family one, there will be cooking demonstrations, live music, as well as children’s activities.

Entrance is free, parking is free, tasting samples will of course, be free. Event starts at 10 am and finishes at 5 pm.

Do not forget that, Witchmount Estate is also famous for their Shiraz, winner of the Best Shiraz 2008 of the Syrah Du Monde of France.

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Saturday, 15 November
1 pm
Federation Square
More information

One of the biggest skate competitions, as part of the Viva 2008 with world music, international food stalls and other entertainment.

Saturday 15 November 2008
11am - 6pm
Prahran Skate Park
Princes Gardens, Prahran
More information

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The majority of houses waste a great deal of water each day when people run taps waiting for them to run hot - for example in the kitchen, bathroom sink and shower. Some claim up to 10 percent or more of household water is wasted while you wait for the shower or taps to run hot.

If we look at the average water use in a Melbourne household, with an average of 200 litres per day per person during water restrictions, and an average Melbourne household having two to three people…. the water wasted waiting for taps to run hot could be 40 or 60 litres a day.

A three person Melbourne household wasting 60 litres per day this way is 22,000 litres per year.
Water usage + sewage disposal = $1.0248 / kl + $1.3392 / kl = $2.364 / kl * 22 kL = $52 per year down the drain. Also, the price of water is set to double over the next few years.

If 60 m² of your yard was gardens for growing fruit and vegetables, it would only require about 33,000 litres per year. This isn’t even taking into account grey water capture (bathroom and washing machine water) which could be 89,000 litres p.a. and/or rainwater harvesting off your roof.

Another important fact point is the greenhouse gas emissions associated with water use in Melbourne. The delivery of potable water in Melbourne means the equivalent of 0.173 tonnes of CO2 is emitted per mega litre (1 million litres). Wastewater in Melbourne is associated with the equivalent of 0.875 tonnes of CO2 emitted per megalitre.

Water wasted by running taps until they run hot is both potable and now wastewater, so the combined CO2 emissions associated with it is about 1 kg CO2 emitted per 1000 litres - all for water that was not used - the emissions were for nothing. If we look at a Melbourne household with three people, wasting 22,000 litres per year, we find that 22 kg of carbon dioxide (or if you prefer, 440 black balloons) is emitted per household each year just running taps to hot.
Read more

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Savers Thrift Stores are having a savers special today. 50% off all used merchandise! If you have never been to a Savers store, it is a recycle store, where clothes, furniture, toys, books and everything else you can think off that people have donated or given away in a usable condition are resold. Diabetes Australia is a major beneficiary of the stores. Most clothings are in very good condition. On occasion, I have found clothes that are brand new for less than 5 dollars.

With a recession looming over the horizon, there is nothing better than being thrifty and helping a charity at the same time.

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1. Its Melbourne Cup Day
2. Opportunity for people to dress up/down and get drunk (But, isn’t that every other day?)
3. I’m going to predict a rain soaked day!

I’ll never understand why its a holiday, just for a horse race!

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It has been raining a bit in the city in the past few days. Well, its not really rain rain, and it really is just a bit. maybe a little drops of water here. and a bit more there.

All part of that four seasons in a day cliche I suppose. The age old conundrum of the Melburnian resident.

The Whitlams apparently weighed in on the topic back in 1998, in their song ‘Melbourne’. Their response : Melbourne’s a ‘rainy city’. Save the title, the song doesn’t mention us by name, and its more about being in love with ‘this [quirky] girl, and her town as well’. Have a watch :

The Whitlam\'s Melbourne on youtube.

Sure is catchy tune. And its so, simplistically happy. If I were to guess, and I mean a shot in the dark, hands tied behind my back, aiming at the toilet with the seat down, blindfolded kind of guess, the interesting girl probably is an avatar for Melbourne itself.

Heh. Okay, so even a drunk year 12 Xavieran can make that connection. But it really is a good song, however you interpret it. And any mayor-elect that promises to make this our City Anthem will have my vote!

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It’s no doubt the IPhone is the biggest thing since sliced cheese. Not only is it a great phone but Apple has opened up it’s system for people to create applications for the phone. There are plenty of useful apps but Metro has to be one of the most useful for Melburnians.

The program provides scheduling information for trains, trams and buses. Instead of pulling out the schedule or looking up the schedule in the train station, Metro allows you to easily pull up your station, line, or train from your phone. With the IPhone’s built in GPS you can find out where the nearest tram stop is.  In addition, you can find out about any delays on the train lines. All they need is to add real time information to make this perfect but I don’t believe this information is publicly released by Connex.

$2.99 from Itunes, Demo Free

Links:

Metro Melbourne via [dhruvit]

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Gotta love Chupa Chups. They are an internationally renowned symbol of lollipops. Two things that always bothered me though:

Why is it pronounced Chuh-pah-chuh-ps here and Chew-pah-chew-ps elsewhere in the world? Wikipedia offers me no explanation.

Also, who is this rogue Chupa Chups seller I see in the city? Why not sell anything else?

This Saturday, AC/DC Lane will host the 50th Birthday Party of the Chupa Chup. There will be images, bands, and of course some candy to suck on.

Chupa Chups Lane
ACDC Lane
Saturday, 2PM-9PM

Links:

Three Thousand: Chupa Chups 50th Birthday Party

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