JOHN MARTIN

Does anyone here want a used Christmas tree? Going cheap! OK, free. I just have to work out a way to get rid of it. I remember a time when I used to recycle Christmas trees. In my bachelor days, I always gave myself permission to get an artificial tree. People who don’t remember the… Continue reading Have yourself a merry little TV aerial

Video and music site AIs are becoming increasingly accurate at guessing what else I’d like watch or listen to based on what I’ve already enjoyed. But I fear the Artificial Intelligence bots at Facebook are still on the practice tee. The other day I got a message saying “based” on my browsing history I might… Continue reading A la cart

I have marvelled for many years over Lake George, the disappearing lake near Canberra. In 1996 I commuted from Canberra to the NSW Southern Tablelands to work on the Goulburn Post and I well remember water lapping at the then single-carriage highway that skirted the lake. Then for years it was bone dry. Where had… Continue reading A fishy story

I’m not sure to be flattered or alarmed I might have raised someone’s expectations. According to my Amazon author page in the US, people who bought my books have also bought books by visionary French sci-fi writer Jules Verne. Born in the early 19th century, Verne’s imagination was far ahead of the game when it… Continue reading Journey to the centre of my brain

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Mine came in the form of a silver-coloured spanner. For years, my wife has shunned my handyman skills. I don’t know why. I am always the first person to put up my hand when something needs fixing. “Don’t be ridiculous, John,” she always says when something breaks… Continue reading Looking the part