AI cars better be smart.

 

Arnie has seen the future of AI cars.

After an interesting and unexpected expedition through the Werakata National Park in the Hunter Valley recently I have lost all faith in our car’s navigation system. For a premium car the navigation and entertainment operating system has always been substandard, as though it was a last-minute thought, knocked up in a hurry by some work experience kid at TAFE. Lucky then that the technicians at Subaru have engineered a superb car that can go anywhere a Toyota Land Cruiser can. Because when the computer decided to take us down a fire trail we really needed that 4WD capability.   

Bana-drama

All that for two bananas!

How many bananas does it take to trash a kitchen? My father will tell you only one, but that’s another story. I say two because that’s how many Gretta needs to make a banana cake.

Need directions?

27 years out of date. Still use it.

Finding the way around a new area can be a little daunting at times. There’s a whole raft of suburbs, streets and points of interest to learn, each with their own short cuts and back alleys that only a local knows about. Ever since Moses took a wrong turn getting out of Egypt cartographers have done their best to ease the plight of travelers with maps, globes, charts and the Navman. These technological advances work wonders in cities, large towns and places with phone reception. But as I have discovered, once you arrive in the outback, you enter a world where the norms of modern road navigation cease to exist.

A close shave.

“Just a nick sir…”

I enjoy a good haircut, it’s one of life’s simple pleasures. I’ve found barbers not only do it better and cheaper than the main street salon, they also don’t talk as much. They understand that if I wanted a conversation I’d have gone to the pub. With spare time on my hands I decided I was due for a treat.  I could have gone to a spa for a massage or any number of rejuvenating treatments, but I opted for something simpler. An old fashioned shave.

Five ways you’ll save money during a heat wave.

Gonna need SPF 50+ on Wednesday.

I don’t want this to turn into some Sydney v’s Melbourne like contest about who can claim to be Australia’s hottest town. That title belongs to Marble Bar in WA. But it must be said that the weather we are experiencing lately is unprecedented. Having spent the last ten years living in Canberra, and complaining annually about the bitter winters, I confess this summer heat is knocking me around.  

Carb free in Moree

There’s a side of chips to come, yeah?

I’ve always thought people who work in health food shops look unhappy. I’ve never yet been served by one who smiled back at me or didn’t look like all they needed was a decent meal to cheer them up. I guess being in a perpetual state of hunger will do that to you. I’m starting to know how they feel.

5 ways to improve a wine tasting experience.

Drinking with an expert.

‘We make the best Semillon in Australia.’ It was a big call to make, but Esther backed it up by plonking a bottle of white wine with more bling around its neck than Mr T onto the polished wooden counter of the Tyrrell’s winery cellar door. 

30K

What would you do with $30,000?

Poor old Custard, our hot air balloon, has been retired due it no longer being airworthy. We are regularly asked when will we be getting a new one. I’d like to say next week as the envelope we have borrowed from friends is much bigger and heavier than we are used to. Every time we fly it I’m a step closer to calling the bank for a loan.