Bits'n'bobs

From soccer to succour... After the Newcastle Jets' 5-0 mauling by Melbourne Victory in the A-League, it was comforting to see Randwick trounce local rivals Easts, the supposed form team of the Shute Shield, by 34-17.

Bill Bailey fanatics: Don't miss the oddball Pommy comedian's appearance on "Enough Rope With Andrew Denton" - this coming Monday, 9.35pm on ABC1.

So I conquered "Fighting Fantasy" gamebook #29 (Wizard numbering system), "Howl Of The Werewolf", on my second attempt. I'd be amazed if anyone aced it on their first. Excepting the head honcho, the monsters are relatively weak, but you need to scour each location for items in order to avoid the auto-deaths and eventually reach entry #515. Things that set it apart from other "F/F" titles: your character begins with lower than normal skill and stamina scores; you accrue unwanted "change points" and gain useful lycanthropic powers during the adventure; and one tricky subquest involves an "alarm rating".