I’m quite excited because this is my first blog entry being tapped out on my new(ish) iBook G4 laptop. I’ve been considering getting a mac for a while, and getting a laptop seemed to be the most convenient thing to do.

So far I’m loving it. It actually has the same specs as my desktop PC but just manages to do everything so much quicker, which is quite a feat considering all the graphical bells and whistles that OS X provides over WinXP.

Installing programs couldn’t be easier - it usually involves a drag and drop of the program’s icon to your harddrive. My brief linux experience comes in handy when I need to delve into the underbelly to change the way things work, which i’ve only needed to do once (to re-order the dns lookup).

I have a 12″ model which I thought would be unbearably small, but in fact I seem to prefer it to my 21″ CRT which seems a little blurry in comparison.

I purchased my iBook from eBay and got a reasonable deal, considering it looks and behaves like new, and is only 5 or so months old. As a bonus, when I checked the Apple website I read that they are recalling particular batteries, mine included, so I have requested a replacement battery be sent out, and Apple is wearing the cost.

There are still a few things I need to sort out before I’m completely comfortable with my iBook, and it can take the place of my PC for all uses. The first of these was getting my DVD burner hooked up, which I sorted out on Sunday. I also want to get wireless installed for the network so I am not bound by cables. I also want an external case for my large HDD (at the moment I have WinXP sharing it, but I’d rather not have the computer on). I also want a sound card with MIDI and Audio In so I can start using it for audio work. Finally, I would like the TV out adaptor from Apple. Oh, and I think a USB hub is going to become necessary very quickly.

Other than the expensive hardware requirements, I’m absolutely loving the machine. Everything from software design to the actual hardware is built so well and I’ve only had to force exit one program so far (a VNC client because I forgot what the command was to exit fullscreen mode).

Today I took a trip out to two types of fairs, firstly the computer fair, followed by the linen and rug sale/fair.

I visited the computer fair to pick up an external CD drive case for my PC (news on why later), and it was very typical. Lots of cars and seemingly less people. Lots of stalls all selling the same thing with $2 cheaper here, $3 more expensive there.

Then we headed to the linen and rug fair. Now take a guess at which stank more… In spite of the evidence, the latter actually was uncontrollably bad smelling in that new linen smell that almost knocked me over when I entered. It was also clearly not a good idea to have one or two points of sale for the entire place. I refused to hang around in a line for 30 minutes to buy a $2 oven mitt so we left pretty soon after we left.

“70, Girls, 70″ opened friday night and was met with a blackout about 15 minutes into the show for about half an hour. After improvised entertaining the audience lit only by the emergency lights and the glow of the exit signs, the power eventually came back on (dissappointing the band who were looking forward to going home), so we didn’t get out of there till after 11pm.

Today is the first day in about 2 weeks when I don’t have anything on, which is nice. Ah, to relax…

In leiu of a real entry (trust me, there is one on its way, I can feel it stirring), please head over to the delightful young eMack’s blog. You know I love a good Hasselhoff joke.

And then scroll down (some of you close your eyes) and see the funniest picture of a dog you’ll ever see. I am making it my lifelong ambition to meet Miss Gertie next time i’m in town and I expect she’ll be properly dressed for the occassion.

I left a comment on the PS Classics website about their extremely high-quality CD products, and it was nice to receive a reply from one of the heads of the record label:

Dear Tyson,

Tommy Krasker
PS Classics

If anyone is so inclined, I do strongly recommend checking out products of the PS Classics range because the two I bought, Assassins and Pacific Overtures both came with generous notes and lyrics in a full colour booklet printed on glossy paper. The booklets are so thick they don’t fit within the cd case, and are packaged together with the CD case in a slipcover.

And while you’re at it check out Sh-k-boom Records and its cast recordings arm, Ghostlight Records (interestingly, co-founded by Sherie Rene Scott, a great Broadway performer) who just put out the very entertaining Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and is soon to release The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. You can tell i’m excited!

I’ve had a very broadway few days…

Last night I headed out to the uni movie theatre to see “Broadway: The Golden Age”. I already have it on DVD, but I wanted to see it on the big screen, and with other people. And for $3.50. Out of 800 seats, about 30 were taken, but that’s to be expected on a friday night when they run art house/cult/niche audience films.

I also took delivery of some new broadway cast CDs, namely the 2005 cast of Pacific Overtures and the 2005 cast of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Both are great and i’m sure they’ll get frequent rotations. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has an amazing cast led by John Lithgow (of TV’s 3rd Rock), Norbert Leo Butz and Sherie Rene Scott (both from one of my favourite musicals - The Last Five Years). Sherie is one of those broadway performers who seems to have no ego at all, and has a great sense of humour which always comes through in the interviews I’ve seen her in. Another particular notable in the cast is Joanna Gleeson who is making her broadway return after winning a Tony award in Into The Woods back in 1989. It’s a smaller part in this show, but its wonderful to hear her voice again. (And for a little bit of trivia… who is it who sang “Nobody Else But You”, the theme song to the short lived “Bette” (Midler) TV series? Bette herself? No - it was Joanna Gleeson who had a role on the show)

And today starts 5 consecutive days of rehearsals. I then get thursday off, then i’ll be at the theatre friday through sunday. I can’t wait till uni is over!