Parents boycott Café Otto

Café Otto's been there forever but has never been a particularly stand-out choice for Glebe dining. The menu never failed to disappoint and the prices were inflated as far back as the '80s.

Parenthood changed this for us. Our three-year-old loves the place because it has a special kid's menu filled with salty, sugary delights, colouring-in accoutrements and an unobstructed view of the passing traffic on Glebe Point Road. We've come to love it because he loves it.

Until last Sunday. The waitress from hell changed all that. Not only could she not crack a smile when said child ordered a 'cino and muffin, but she was obviously irritated by him rifling through the sugar sachets and talking animatedly and, yes, loudly about passing garbage trucks.

He had wandered off to get a better look from the front of the cafe when, with lightening speed, he was whipping down his pants and proudly proceeding to wee through the fence onto next door's garden. I wasn't quick enough to stop him, it's true. I was mortified by his breech of etiquette, yes. But he's three and still impressed with his bladder control.

Every other patron present was clearly amused. He even elicited a round of applause from one table.

The waitress from hell considered it an act of indecent exposure and made it clear it was time for us to leave.

As we did, a group of four arrived with their poodle and were greeted with smiles and charm. When it came time for the pooch to relieve itself, would she have been so appalled? I doubt it. After all, that's what dogs do, right?

So Café Otto is black-banned in our house, despite our son's dismay. I have put up with tepid coffee, overpriced eggs and soggy toast but I won't put up with the vanguard of child-haters that seem to have taken up residence there.

New reality TV concept

Find three American celebrities and three American high school drop-outs from the middle of nowhere and charge them all with heinous crimes.

Pluck the kids from their holding cells and give them the finest justice that money can buy.

Sack the celebrities' star-studded legal teams, and put their fate in the hands of legal aid lawyers who are doing summer work for extra credit.

Follow the kids right through to their release, and the celebrities right through to their execution.

Invite experts to make moving statements about the tragedy of it all.

I oughta be in television! ;-)

Architects in the area

According to a recent Australian Financial Review report, Chippendale is becoming a haven to Sydney's architects. I thought I'd test the claim using the Yellow Page's Map-Based Search function. Here's what I found.

Campaign For Sydney continues

We've past the June 4 mark, and the Sydney Morning Herald'sCampaign For Sydney has moved from scoping the problems to blueprinting the solutions. I'm hungry for detail and the SMH is coming close to satisfying my needs, with maps and more. Some of the detail has been withheld from the website, which is understandable given the SMH makes a living from selling (advertising and) newspapers. However, I hope all details will be available on the website at the end of the campaign as a lasting resource for anyone who wants to force Carr and Brogden into action.