I’ve always been a huge supporter of Transperth. In comparison to all the other public transport networks in Australia, Transperth seems to offer the best value for money when it comes to something that a lot of us take for granted. Their network is mostly efficient, clean, has a good coverage of the Perth suburbs and always had a great vision with its online services. Transperth was the first public transport company in this region to release their schedule data for use in 3rd party apps like Google Maps and now it seems like Perth’s public transport system is about to launch TransperthNet, its own WiFi network.

This afternoon I jumped on the 99 circleroute bus to do some errands. Half way through the trip I realised that the female voice that you normally hear on Transperth trains was also on this bus, announcing bus stop names. I looked up and noticed two LCD screens had recently been installed, displaying the time and route information.

Spiffy! I thought to myself and I went about my business.

With only a few minutes left in my trip, I wondered how the on-board computer could have obtained the data to display to their passengers – was it via the mobile network or perhaps via WiFi when the bus was at the depot. Curious grum had to find out. I didn’t have my laptop with me but I did have my iPod. A quick scan revealed the SSID of “TransperthNet” on an unsecured connection.

This was rather odd so I jumped on and in 10 seconds my iPod chimed with 3 new eMail notifications – OMG! An Internet connection!

I only had about 5 minutes to play with the network as my stop was rapidly approaching so I couldn’t do much with the time I had but I was on for long enough to determine that it was fast enough to check eMail/Twitter but it didn’t feel as fast as a standard 3G connection. There was no splash-screen authentication and no actual confirmation that this was a Transperth trail (aside from the SSID). I’ll be hunting that damn bus down next week armed with a laptop to see what else I can find.

So far Perth has free WiFi in several public places, including a bus stop thanks to the folks at Vivid Wireless. Over the last few months I’ve heard strong rumours from a number of reliable sources that the success of these existing WiFi networks have leveraged the introduction of a larger WiFi network throughout Perth, due to be launched in the next 18 months – could TransperthNet be it? Or will be we seeing something even better?

Whatever the future holds for us in Perth, thank you WA government and now don’t screw this up.

There are a bunch of thoughts in my head about this new device so I thought I’d put them somewhere for no reason whatsoever.

Why I don’t like the iPad:

• Modern resolution1024 x 768? Really?
  Output resolution is at 480p max. Eh?
  Letterboxed movies
• No USB portsYou have to buy a dongle
  No word as yet to removable storage compatibility
• No flashThis is a faster processor – why no flash support?
• Not a REAL eBook reader – no e-InkOver the past 2 weeks I’ve read 6 books on my iPod touch and have found myself having to take an hour break for every 2 hours of reading. I can see the same thing happening here.
• No multitaskingNew processor – C’MON Apple!
• Not a real operating systemAssuming this is the iPhone OS, you won’t see it as an attached storage device either via USB or over the network. The OS is locked down tough and many of the things you’d expect from a netbook won’t be able to be done using the iPad.

Why I like the iPad:

• Its a lifestyle deviceI won’t be using it for work, however I can easily see it replacing 75% of my home use of a computer. RSS reading will be a breeze, eMail management will be more comfortable, it’ll offer feature-rich iTunes remote which the iPod currently lacks and it will revolutionise the comic book industry.
• Stuff it offers that a laptop can’t – massive battery life and sheer portability.
• The price.Apple has a habit of raping Australians by adding a ‘dumbass’ tax to their products after the currency is converted; However I’m going assume that the iPad will cost us Aussies $699 for the base model.

  Actually, now that I think about it, the price isn’t THAT special…

So will I be getting the iPad?

Maybe.

It all depends on the price. This is a luxury item that sits on my “would like to have” list. At the moment, the apple item that sits on the realistic “must have” list is a new Macbook Pro.

I’ll wait to get my hands on this new baby at the new Perth Apple Store later this year. Never know, I may fall in love with it and buy one on the spot.

Well, that’s highly likely since I’m such a fanboy.

G

Its kinda like when you walk into your parents room without knocking and they’re busy fucking. For some reason you linger there watching for way too long, taking in the scene before you and burning it deep into your memory. Finally when they realise you’re there they tell you to go away but they don’t take the time to stop and cover themselves up, they just yell at you to get out whilst he continues drilling her on the spot. But instead of running off, you silently back away as they go faster and faster till they’re finally out of view however you can still hear them going at it like a couple of high school kids after a six pack of wine coolers.

Well, today wasn’t _that_ awkward. But it was awkward nonetheless.

It isn’t much of a secret that I love fast food. Particularly burgers.

I practically live off the stuff which will one day come back to haunt me however till then, I shall devour as much of it as possible.

A few months ago, McDonald’s decided to finally bring in the Angus style burgers to Australia. I fell in love with the tasty treat and promptly devoured as many as I could get my hands on. Knowing the Angus meat was quite the rage over in the states I wasn’t surprised that Hungry Jacks released one given that their franchiser Burger King is believed to be the first major chain to market the burger.

After a brief discussion on Twitter about the burger, I was quickly convinced that it was time that I high tailed it to my local Hungry Jack’s and get my Angus on. No more time to waste. I sped in the direction of the burger like a Cheeky Bingo fan rushes to a bingo hall, or like a shopaholic to the sales. There was no stopping me.

It was a strange morning. The sky was overcast yet the breeze blowing in my face was warm and laced with the scents of fried chicken and grilled meat emanating from the nearby fast food outlets. The store was unusually busy; a queue had already formed consisting of bogans of all shapes and sizes, all smelling like Marlborough Reds. I spotted my meal on the menu board and joined the line. The woman in front of me was in an argument with someone on her mobile, seemingly oblivious to the fact that a child no older than six years old is attached to her right leg and is screaming at the top of her lungs. Yep, I must be in the right place.

After what seemed like an hour, I finally was served. The woman serving barked a question at me that I didn’t quite hear. I pardoned myself and asked her to repeat herself. She just stared at me with her comically large eyes and said nothing. Actually come to think of it, everything about her seemed comically large. She was an Asian lady, possibly in her late 40s and was covered in grease. Considering it was only 10 in the morning, I was rather baffled as to why she looked so unclean. Her face was covered in make-up that looked like it was applied with a shovel. and she had eyes bordered with eyeliner thicker than a stick of hard liquorice and lips resembling those of a Bratz doll. She squawked at me in a high-pitched tone, snapping me out of a daze as I wondered to myself how many cats she lived with. Time for me to place the order, I guess.

I chose a large double Angry Angus burger meal with onion rings and a Sprite. She decided to interpret this as a triple cheeseburger meal with an added serving of onion rings and two diet Cokes. I ended up having to repeat myself twice, finally convincing her that I hadn’t changed my mind as to what I wanted to order. The meal was under $10 and I was told to step aside so she could serve the next person. As soon as I did, she walked away whilst the next person was about to place his order. He looked at me through his glazed stoner eyes and mouthed a “what the fuck?” to me. I smiled and nodded back.

As I waited I noticed the strange assortment of people waiting behind my new found dread-locked hippy friend. Immediately behind him stood an impatient teenage girl wearing thongs, tracksuit pants and faded red shirt with the words “Make me my dinner” printed on the front. She eventually ordered a small fries. Behind her, stood a woman in her 40s wearing cut-off jeans shorts and a Rip Curl shirt. I couldn’t help but notice the words “Ill be yours for ever” tattooed on the inside of her leg. Grammatical errors included. Finally there stood a Japanese couple, adorned with matching safari pants and Nikon cameras around their necks, nattering to each other and pointing excitedly at the menu board.

Ten minutes had passed as I watched the queue get shorter and shorter. A number of staff members came up to me and asked me if I had been served – one staff member asking me twice within the space of two minutes. A manager even came up to the crazy cat woman server, pointed at me and asked her if she “was gonna serve that man or what?”. She just stared at him and he walked off. Eventually she decided to stop serving customers and placed a large empty cup on a tray in front of her.

“Laaaaaaarge drink”, she yelled out and looked around the shop. “Dine-in Spriiiite???”

She repeated this twice then jabbed at her register with her middle finger.

“Dahninauhrtakway?”, she squeaked in my general direction. I looked around and realised she was trying to communicate with me.

“Dahninauhrtakway?”

“Sorry?” I replied.

“Dahnin hour takway sir?” she repeated in a louder tone. “Eat here?”

“Oh right, take away.”

She stared at me for at least three seconds and grabbed the microphone and yelled into it.

“Still waiting for Angus, double and rings.”

I sighed to myself and waited 5 more minutes. Another staff member came up to me, asked me if I was dining in or taking away then gave me my lunch with a forced smile.

As I exited I took another look at the front door just in case it was some mystical shimmering portal to an alternative dimension because I have never in my life experienced such an unusual exchange as I did that morning.

It started to rain on my way home. I choose to blame Hungry Jack’s for that too.

Getting home I unwrapped my meal. Wow, what a disappointment.

Now, I’d like to say yes – I shouldn’t have any sort of expectation when it comes to fast food. It should be greasy, poorly made and quite hazardous to my health however this was just embarrassingly bad.

One of the major selling points of McDonald’s Angus burger range was the taste – it was supposed to taste better than their average burgers. And that it did. There was quite a difference in the taste and texture from an Angus burger to a Big Mac. I’m still a fan of both burgers however I do appreciate them in a different light.

Hungry Jack’s however is a different story. The meat was burnt to a crisp, which is not unusual for their flame grilled style (which I hate with a passion). Because of this, there was no way possible for me to taste the difference between this burger and a whopper with bacon. Oh, there was supposed to be some fancy onion inside the burger I think? I couldn’t taste it at first so I ripped open the offending meal and found a single piece of onion, the size of a 5 cent coin drowning in sauce.

So the verdict is that in my humble opinion, no human should be subjected to this filth that Hungry Jack’s calls a meal. The meal was a violation of taste in every way possible. It was soggy, burnt, tasteless and left a layer of grease on my tongue that refused to wash away after downing a large Sprite followed by a Dr Pepper.

But on the bright side, if I ever want to bomb an establishment to rid as many low life derelicts as possible, I now know where to go.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be putting grum away to figure out what he is and who Chris is. What that means, I really can’t say here but I figure its time for me to reassess this strange thing called my life and see if its what I really wanted.

To some, I may disappear for good. To others, I may slightly fade but will still be around.

I apologise for this riddle, I’m usually quite upfront with my life online but I know I need to step away and figure this all out on my own.

I will be back in some capacity. Hope you’ll be there to see.

- grum

The crew at letsmakegames.org have their July event tonight at the Velvet lounge.

Going?

I am.

Details lovingly stolen from their blog:

• Title: What’s That in Your Pocket!?!
• Time/Date: 7:30pm-10:30pm, Tuesday July 28, 2009
• Location: The Velvet Lounge, 639 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley
• Description: A FREE social event. Check out the latest locally developed iPhone games. Bring your DS or PSP for wireless multi-player gaming. Play Dissidia: Final Fantasy in our exclusive pre-release demonstration.
• Links: Facebook event page. (Also feel free to join our Facebook group to be notified of future events).

First one to guess the name of the movie in the comments section below wins 50 points!!

@__duckie guessed correctly with Anchorman!

There are still some movies that are still a mystery!

There are now 100 points up for grabs from this movie:
@malking guessed correctly with A Night at the Roxbury!

And there are now 150 points up for grabs from this movie:
@michaelroper guessed correctly with Rachel Getting Married!

What do these points do? Well, the first person to hit 1000 points will win something super duper awesome!!!*

Oh, for those wondering – a current tally of grumpoints is as follows:
150 points @michaelroper
140 points @malking
100 points @salreagan
55 points @__duckie
50 points @JakeGonzales
50 points @missgiggly
40 points @gemmacharlotte
40 points @erpe
25 points @t3h1y0n
25 points @BlatantSam
20 points @alegrya
20 points @inversation
20 points @BlatantSam
20 points @devar
15 points @emma_G
10 points @injenious
10 points @ragnarok1971
10 points @LadyFrontbum
Quick tip : subscribe to this blog to get in early before I announce the post on Twitter.
* The definition of awesome is to be determined by grum at a later date.

Yes its true, Uncle grum has some more movie ticket giveaways and this time its for G.I Joe.

What? G.I. Joe you ask? Yep, that’s right! One of my childhood favourites is being made into a movie (er, again) and I have a fistful of tickets to give away. Now at first, I was a bit dubious about supporting this franchise. The concept of a G.I Joe movie was a bit weird to me but after watching the movie trailer and reading a couple of early-screening reviews, it seems that G.I Joe might actually be a good action flick. Actually, judging by the Twitter posts from those who just saw the preview screenings, I’d say this could be a blockbuster that could knock that smug Michael Bay bastard off his perch.

The premise is simple. A bunch of elite military special ops dudes exist for some strange reason and the powers that be decides to call them the G.I. Joe. One day, an arms dealer dude gets in the way and decides to take over the world or something and suddenly there is a band of merry evil-dudes in a group called Cobra. No, really – the plot really shouldn’t matter. G.I. Joe promises to be a mindless popcorn action flick full of explosions, boobs and catchy one-liners. I know I’ll be at the cinemas on opening week to get a taste, wanna join me?

Once again this competition is open to anyone in Australia – although every time I give away something on this blog, Perthies seem to win. Perhaps its just proof that us West Aussies are just pure awesome.

The comp will run till July 31 and my decision will be final, so if you have a problem with that – suck it. Also, make sure you are following @grum on Twitter to be eligible for the comp.

So how do we win stuff?

As usual, I’m going to give out entries to the draw in a multitude of ways:

For 1 entry into the draw:

Click this link to post on twitter (make sure you’re logged into twitter.com) or cut and paste the following (without the quotes):

“Did you know @grum is giving away tickets to G.I.JOE? Details here: http://bit.ly/AWvDl”

For 5 entries into the draw:

Head on over to the official website at http://www.gijoemovie.com/intl/au/, have a browse around and tell me what brand computer the site is giving away. Please eMail your answer to gijoe@thatgrumguy.com with your twitter name and hope for the best :)

For up to 100 entries into the draw:

That’s right – up to 100 freakin’ entries into the draw. I want to make sure that TRUE FANS get a better chance at winning these tickets than the rest of you kids. This is where the fun begins – I want you to PROVE to me how much of a G.I. Joe fan you are. In return, I’ll give you a crapload of entries into the comp!

Only if you are worthy though.

Do you collect the figurines? Comic books? Have old VHS copies of the cartoon? Have a Cobra Command tattoo on your butt? Yes? GOOD!

eMail me at gijoe@thatgrumguy.com with anything that shows me that you are a G.I. Joe fan. Either it be picture evidence, a video of you singing the theme song or even a heartfelt sonnet. Whatever it may be, I want to see it. Each entry will be judged and allocated points based on the level of awesomeness. Make sure you mention your Twitter name in the eMail. I will accept bribes however I won’t promise you that those bribes will benefit you in any way whatsoever.

That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

I know you can do it! You want tickets to the movie right?

Did I mention the movie has Sienna Miller running around in a tight leather jumpsuit? Not convinced? Check out the trailer below:

If you want to be in the running for more giveaways in the future, why not subscribe to the blog?

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